Guns and Crayons
by PeriwinkleJune
Summary: Before I could get the word out I felt it. Pain. Sharp, intense pain. The kind of pain that knocks the breath out of you and causes your knees to buckle.
1. Chapter 1

Wet. Cold. Absolutely disgusting. Those would be the adjectives to describe the weather today. It's supposed to be April, but it seems no sign of spring is coming any time soon. The traffic in D.C. is especially crazy because of it. Every day it seems more and more people are crowding the highways with nothing better to do. Of course, this could just be me being pissed off as I sit in traffic late for a very important meeting. I even tried to allot for this. I got up an extra hour early to beat traffic. Big fail. That's okay though. At least I'll look decent.

Sitting on the freeway my anxiety kicks in full force. My worst quality by far. This meeting is incredibly important. If I don't ace this, I will be flipping burgers the rest of my life. Not that there is anything particularly wrong with that, but my student loan debt would be a sad sight if it amounted to nothing.

Professor Lucy McMillian. Has a beautiful ring to it. The local art institute is looking for me to be one of their new instructors. At the ripe young age of 24, I believe this is a profound achievement. I want this so bad I can taste it. I have worked my whole life for this. Cliché? Yes. Truthful? You bet. I want to teach people how to see the world in a way other than what the media shoves down their throats. I want people to look deep within themselves and pull out the child they buried when they became adults. I want to share this form of happiness.

As I get out of my car, I regret not putting wellies on, but instead opting for the bright royal blue heels I picked up at a vintage shop a few weeks ago. Against my simple black dress and red hair, I think they look pretty stunning. Not sure now, as every step I take water splashes all the way up to my knees.

Once inside the school, I regret even more my shoe choice as the clicking and splashing through the halls seems to announce my presence loud and clear. I stand before Mr. Galloway's office, smooth my hair and my dress and march in.

"Why, you must be Ms. McMillian." He grins as I walk in. Wonderful, he doesn't seem too upset that I am thirty minutes late.

"Yes, Lucy McMillian sir. It is so nice to finally meet you in person." I stretch out my wet hand to shake his. He returns the favor and his smile burns even brighter. He seems like a sweet old man that probably has ten grandkids that he spoils to death.

"Ms. McMillian, I cannot begin to explain how excited we are to have you join our staff here at Cocoran. It has been a long time since we had new blood," he winked.

"Mr. Galloway…"

"Please, call me George."

"Mr. I mean, George. This is a huge honor and I hope to bring a new life to the classes you have given to me. I know that it is not easy bringing someone so young…"

All of a sudden a young kid walks through the door. When I say kid, I really mean a guy around my age that puts me into the mind of a teacher's assistant I had in middle school.

"I am so sorry, George. I had no idea…" he sighed.

"Doctor Reid! Nonsense! Come in! Come in!" Mr. Galloway exclaimed.

Who is this guy? This is an art college, not a Doctor Who convention. What on earth is he doing here? And what the heck is that? A gun?

"Dr. Reid, this is Lucy McMillian, the newest member of my staff"

The skinny boy reaches out his hand towards mine with an almost sheepish grin.

"I am Dr. Spencer Reid. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. McMillian."

"Thank you. It's nice meeting you as well." I keep staring at his gun. Who in the world is this guy? No way he's a cop. Right?

"Aren't you a little young to be professor?" Dr. Reid laughs.

"Aren't you a little young to be playing with firearms?" Couldn't help myself.

He laughs as Mr. Galloway interjects. "Dr. Reid is an agent with the BAU and a longtime friend of the family."

"You're a genius, aren't you?" I mean, he has to be. The BAU is top notch.

"And you are an art prodigy aren't you?" He seems to blush a bit. I smile which causes him to turn another shade of red.

"Well, I guess we are on level playing fields, huh?" It's so nice to finally know someone who understands what it's like to be just a little bit weird.

"What can I help you with, Spencer?" Mr. Galloway interrupts and snaps us back into the real world.

"Unfortunately George, I am here on official business. I wish it was not on these terms. It seems there have been a series of kidnapping and murders in the area. Nine, to be exact."

"NINE?" I yelp.

"Yes. Nine. It seems our UNSUB is targeting girls with artistic talents. Music, singing, dancing, art. Two of the girls attended Cocoran."

Mr. Galloway puts his head down. I can tell this news, just broke his heart.

"Oh Spencer. This is terrible. If there is anything I can do to help, my door is always open."

Really guy? You just had to rain on this parade. Literally.

"Mr. Galloway," I had to get out of here, "I will let you tend to this business. I will see your bright and early next Monday morning."

"Of course, of course Lucy. I will give you the tour then and get you set up in your room before the summer semester opens." He leans in for another hand shake. As I walk out the door, Mr. Genius stops me.

"I don't mean to be blunt Ms. McMillian, but being that you are definitely our UNSUB's type, I would appreciate if you would at least allow me to walk you to your car. The campus is sort of empty, and it would really make me feel better."

I could hear Mr. Galloway giggle. I could tell that although he was definitely concerned, he might actually just think I am kind of a cute girl. Bet he thinks that gun just makes me melt in the inside.

As we walked to my car, I was delighted to see a bit of sunshine. The rain had stopped and it actually looked a little like spring.

"Ms. McMillian…"

"Lucy, please. Ms. McMillian is my grandmother," lame, but he still laughed.

"Lucy, here is my card with my cell number. As crazy as it may sound, if you notice anything strange please call." He handed me the stark white card with an unemotional glance.

"Oh yes, definitely." Is all I could say. Did this guy really think I could be a potential target? I am fairly new to the area, who would even care enough to come after me?

"The guy we are looking for would blend in with the surroundings. He may be artistic, but not enough to really stand out. He may enjoy participating with younger girls in different artistic settings. School talent shows, dances. He may even ask if you could give him a private lesson. If any of this sounds like someone you know, please call-even if you think it's unimportant."

"Of course. Thanks again, doctor." I flashed my biggest smile. Why on earth was I flirting with him?

"Talk to you later then," just as his cell rang and he walked away.

As I walk into my apartment door, I realize I have been clasping his card the entire way home. What on earth is it about this guy that I can't shake? I guess he was kind of cute. It was pretty cool that both are pretty excelled in our field. Uggh. Who cares. No time for boys, especially ones who chase after serial killers.


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own Criminal Minds or its Characters.**

**This is my first fanfic ever, would love feedback!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 2 Guns and Crayons<p>

My bed is going to feel beyond wonderful. The cold weather makes every joint in my body ache. I have been shivering all day, and I am exhausted. My queen sized lover calls and I can't help but answer. I change into fresh out of the dryer pajamas, hop in and get under the covers. This is my favorite time of day. Time to be with my thoughts. Time to clear my head. The only problem is my thoughts are filled with images of a guy I just met. I don't understand why I can't stop thinking of him. Part of me wants something weird to happen just so I can call him. What would I even say to the supreme Dr. Reid? Uggh. I am acting like a teenage dreamer. I have to admit, it's been a long time since a man has made me feel even the slightest bit giddy. Not going to lie, it's kind of nice. Bad part, it's seriously keeping me up. As tired as I am, I cannot get the gears to stop turning.

Crayons. They are my favorite medium. As a child, after my mom died, anytime I couldn't sleep I would get up and color. It seemed to help me remember her. It calmed me enough so I could ease back into sleep. Guess I never grew out of that. I personally think all adults should take the time to color. It brings you back to a time that hasn't been ruined by pain or heartbreak. Besides, who doesn't like the freedom to color a cow purple and a horse green?

I walk over to grab my supplies out of my messenger bag, when I realize it's not there. That's so odd. I always bring that thing in with me. It's my version of a security blanket. It must be out in my car. Great. I gotta walk out in the cold, again. Not getting out of my pj's though, a jacket will have to do. As I run down my apartment's stairs I can already feel the temperature drop. God bless street side parking. I reach my car only to realize my bag isn't there either. Strange. Where on earth could I have put it? It's a rather large blue canvas messenger bag with the words, "Police Call Box" on it. If I didn't say that I am a true geek, that bag screams it for me.

Now I am pissed. Got out in the cold for nothing. I reach my door but when I enter I am just a tad bit startled. There, on my entry table is my bag. There is no way I could have missed this. I would have walked right by it going out to my car. I begin to get a tab panicked when I force myself to think logically. It's been a long day and I am just overly tired. I am just allowing myself to get worked up over nothing.

I go ahead and grab my sketch book and crayons to get at it. As I put the Tickle Me Pink crayon to paper it makes me think of my mom again. She would sit with me for hours and we would doodle all kinds of stories. She would always sing silly songs as we drew. Honestly, it was the best part of my childhood. My mother was far from perfect, but she tried very hard to help me be a normal kid. I barely remember any of the bad. Like I said, it has always helped me relax.

The coloring must have worked, because I was still hoIding the crayon when I woke up. I crack my eyes open to see the bright sun shining through my window. I can't help but smile. I think it has been three weeks since we had a good dose of vitamin D. I begin to shut my eyes again when my house phone rings.

"Uggh!" I yelp as I jump out of bed, "I don't have your money right now! Why do you guys have to start so darn early!"

Those bill collectors get me every morning. It has been four months since I graduated and four months since I have had any income coming in. Just wait, when I get this first professional paycheck-it will all be worth it.

I pick up the phone and with no hesitation I yell, "Hello! What do you want?"

"Umm Ms. McMillian, I mean, Lucy?"

Oh God. This is not a bill collector. I check the caller ID. "Federal Bureau…" Oh no, it can't be.

"Uh yes, this is she." Yea, like that is going to make up for the crazy woman outburst.

"Lucy, this is Spencer Reid. I was wanting to know if everything is okay?"

"Okay? I am fine, why?" He is beginning to make me a little nervous. Am I not supposed to be alright? Or maybe is this just some cute excuse to call me. Fat chance.

"Well, you called my cell last night. It was actually rather late. I didn't recognize the number, and there wasn't a message so I thought I would wait to call whoever it was in the morning. "

"I didn't call you Dr. Reid. You must have been mistaken." This guy is reading very high on my weird-o meter now.

"I'm not mistaken, Lucy. I ran your phone number through our analyst and she got your name for me. Someone called me from that house."

I couldn't even speak. The bag. My bag. Oh God, no. This is just a misunderstanding. No one was here but me. No one could have been here but me. My breathing began to get a little erratic, and I could feel the attack coming on. Come on Lucy, don't do this. You've been doing good. Fight back. You gotta fight it.

"Lucy? Are you still there?" I could hear a bit of nervousness and hesitation in his voice, which wasn't helping the situation at all.

I then deeply filled my lungs with air and said, "Dr. Reid, I need to tell you…"

Before I could get the word out I felt it. Pain. Sharp, intense pain. The kind of pain that knocks the breath out of you and causes your knees to buckle. The last image I saw was the clear blue sky out my window. The world then went extremely bright, then black. Nothing. No sound. No interruptions. Just a peaceful void.


	3. Chapter 3

**I do appreciate all feedback! Please, let me know what you think!**

**Again, I do not own Criminal Minds or it's characters!**

Chapter 3

As I begin to wake up, I smell the worst thing to ever hit my nostrils. It smells like I am sitting in a sewer with the heat cranked up and dead rats as my company. Not that I actually know what that smells like, but I can imagine. The smell is so atrocious I vomit whatever it was I ate last night. I can't even remember. I can barely remember anything at this point. I attempt to open my eyes hoping that I will be laying on the floor in my living room, but something wet drips into them make me slam the shut again. As I attempt to wipe the mess off of my face I realize I can't. My hands are tied behind my back. Behind a pole.

"What the?" I manage to get out. Wait, what has happened to me? Why am I here? I raise my knee up to use my pajama leg to wipe the water off my face. As I open my eyes and look at my pant leg, I realize, "that's not water."

The sight of my own blood makes me vomit again. Blood has never bothered me, but I guess seeing my own in that quantity is a bit different.

I squeeze my eyes shut again hoping I will wake up. When I open them again I see a place of such unfamiliarity. A bathroom? No, it's too big to be a bathroom. It reminds me of the shower stalls in college, just much, much nastier. The floor beneath me is tiled but a layer of slim on top. I try to use my feet to prop myself up, but the moisture on the floor prevents me from having any friction. Then I smell it. Chlorine. A pool? My eyes widen. A pool locker room? I rack my brain trying to register where I am. Dublin Community Center. My mom used to take me here when I was a kid. Most of D.C. would come here if they didn't have their own pool. It flooded about a year ago so they closed it down. This has to be it.

Suddenly, the panic sets in.

"_It seems there have been a series of kidnapping and murders in the area. Nine, to be exact."_

Oh. God. No.

Not me. No, no, no. Not me. I haven't done anything wrong! Why would he take me? I begin to panic more and my breathing gets labored. I scream at the top of my lungs,

"HELP ME! SOMEBODY PLEASE! PLEASE!" I shake violently trying to free my hands without prevail.

I know that no one can hear me. Dublin is so far from the road, no one will probably ever find me.

"Don't do this, Lucy. Stay calm," I say out loud. The sound of my voice comforts me.

Spencer Reid. I was on the phone with him when this happened. He has to know that something's wrong, he has to come looking for me. I begin to sob uncontrollably. Then even more pain sets in. The tears rolling down my face begin to burn. I touch my cheek to my shoulder and it stings even more. Then I noticed the trail of blood running from my face, down my neck and on to my chest.

"Oh Jesus, what have you done to me?" The tears begin to roll down my face again, soaking my shirt.

"I have blessed you, my child."

A raspy voice begins, coming from behind me. I begin to shake even more. What in the world could this freak want with me?

"You should feel blessed and honored to be here with me. See, I like you have been given a beautiful talent, a gift, from the gods. I will in time, get to show it to you." He bends down behind me and whispers in my ear. The smell of him makes me want to vomit yet again, but I hold back.

"What in the world are you talking about? What gift? What gods?" I might come off a little to brave here, but I need to know what this is all about.

"The talent that has made you who you are. It's a beautiful thing, yes. But unfortunately you are not using it the way the gods intended it to be used. You are keeping it all for yourself. You are not giving them any credit."

"Credit? What credit? Who the heck are you talking about?" I scream even louder. Horror and panic have officially taken over. I care barely breath as I begin to have one of the worst attacks of my life.

Then I feel the scorch of flesh against my cheek. It stuns me so bad I can't even whimper.

"Don't you dare you little witch! Don't you dare disrespect me or the supreme powers, or I will make you pay."

"Please, please. I'll do anything. Just let me go."

The weakness my body feels is coming out in my speech. How long have I been here anyways?

"Oh I know you will. Right now, letting you go isn't an option. You have to pay for your selfishness. It's the only way."

He crouched down in front of me and grabs my face with his revolting hands. His entire body smells of the stench of the room, but tenfold. He begins to dig his nails into my flesh, into the apparent gash on the side of my face. Then he forces a kiss on me. Forces my mouth to open as he intrudes with such force I can't even fight back. As my only chance to free myself from such a vile act, I sway my face to the side as hard as I can, breaking his grasp. This of course pisses him off more than I could have realized. He desn't say anything. He arises from the ground, walks behind me and then it happens. He stomps on my left hand with an insurmountable force. I feel every bone in my hand snap and crush. I began to scream hysterically.

That- was my painting hand.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hopefully this isn't too graphic. Promise there won't be much more of this!**

It's so quiet; I can almost hear my heart beating. It brings me no comfort, because at this point- I wish I was dead. What did this man want with me? What supreme being was he talking about? All I know is that he is senseless and I am terrified, mortified if you will, that I will never see anything outside of these grubby walls.

It takes a few moments, but the pain of my hand begins to set in full force. At this point, I am glad that my hands are behind me, because I would not be able to look at the damage he has inflicted on me. Will I be able to paint again? Will I even be able to sign my name? Why has he done this? The same questions run through my mind over and over again.

I try, just slightly, to move my hand. It sends shockwaves up my arm and even to my neck. I feel no connectivity, just pain. I know that if I am not saved soon, my hand could send me into shock or become toxic with infection-it might kill me before he does. Again, I am glad I can't see it.

Hours seem to have passed and still no sign of this freak. I wonder if he watches me, if he gets off on seeing the torture and anguish from a distance? I try to shift my weight a bit since my legs and back are becoming numb from sitting on such a hard surface for so long. How many women have been in the same spot I have? How many of their tears have soaked in the grout of this locker room? Tear after tear of my own begin to fall again. I try with all of my might to keep this from happening, but nothing helps. The gash on my face burns like a hot iron. This only makes me cry harder.

Then I hear something. Footsteps. Footsteps and the sound of something dragging along the tile. What is that?

"Oh please," I moan to myself, "please leave me alone."

The creep comes up behind me and I brace myself for the worst. He bends down and begins to touch my hair. I can hear him sniffing it and rubbing his face in it. Shivers activate throughout my body and suddenly he yanks my head back. He begins to place his cheek up against mine. Rubbing his nose on me like this was a time of affection. He then throws my blue canvas bag into my lap. I am shocked to see it, and even manage a quick smile-then confusion sets in.

"Wha…what is this for?"

"Paint. Color. Draw. Do something. Show me that you understand that your gift if not for the glory of yourself-and I will let you go."

This guy is such a whack-job. I have no idea what am I going to draw or even how. My hand hurts so bad it's begin to make me nauseous. I know that the infection is beginning to set in.

He begins to take the ties off of my hands when I let out another scream. Just the nudge of my hand cripples my whole body. When I bring my arms around to my front, I can see the damage is far beyond anything I had pictured. There, in my lap, lay the hand that brought me so much happiness. I never needed special tools to create, just my hands. It was about three times its normal size with an almost greenish black hue. When I lifted it, I tried not to scream, but I was mortified at how my fingers were so mangled and twisted in different directions. I could see the infection starting to move up my arm. That can't be good.

"DO SOMETHING!" He yelled.

I am alarmed and begin to reach into my bag with my right hand. I pull out my sketch book and some pastels. They will be easier to hold with my non-dominate hand. I am pretty confident that I can make something that looks like art without him knowing it's just a load of crap.

I start to swirl on the page different shades of blues and greens. He starts to scream at me.

"NO! NO! NO! You're not doing it right!" The man launches himself into a high speed pace back and forth. "I said make something to show that you are no longer selfish!"

"I'm not being selfish, I promise," I sniffle out, "What would you like me to draw?"

The rage in him is so evident right now, I brace for whatever is about to come next.

He grabs me by my hair and proceeds to drag me across the floor. My body is so frail from lack of water and the infection in my hand I can't even lift a single limb to fight back. Then I see it, the long shaft of silver that he holds in his hand. It's a bat. I try to scream but nothing comes out. I am in full panic mode and there is no going back.

He drags me to where the empty pool is. I can still see dirty lounge chairs and deserted tables that look they have been abandoned for years. As my cheek lay across the concrete I can hear her voice. My mom. She is singing one of our favorites.

_Baby mine, don't you cry_

_Baby mine, dry your eyes_

_Rest your head close to my heart_

_Never to part, baby of mine_

I sob quietly to myself, wanting to hold on to this moment. I am shaken out of it with a tremendous blow to my side. How much more can my body withstand before it finally gives up? I look up to him, barely able to move, when I see the more horrifying thing to date-he begins to unbuckle his belt. So I begin to sing-

_Little one when you play__  
><em>_Don't you mind what you say__  
><em>_Let those eyes sparkle and shine__  
><em>_Never a tear, baby of mine_


	5. Chapter 5

**First off, thank you so much for those who took the time out to read or comment on my story! **

**And yes, the song Lucy sings is from Dumbo…I sing it to my babies too!**

**If you have any concrit, I would love to hear that as well. Being that this is my first fanfic, I would love to know what I could do to improve!**

_From your head to your toes_

_You're not much, goodness knows_

_But you're so precious to me_

_Cute as can be, baby of mine_

I wake up still singing my mom's song. God must really love me, because apparently I've blacked out for the past few hours. I am thankful, because although I can comprehend what has happened-I can't dwell on it right now. I am just trying to survive.

I am chained back to the pipe, but with only one hand. I guess he figured I couldn't do anything with my broken one, so he let me be. I lay on my side, almost immobile. I know that something is broken, but my brain isn't registering it just yet. The room begins to wobble, as if I have been drinking. The infection is getting worst. I need to keep myself coherent, I need to focus. I try and think of my favorite paintings, the one's that inspired me the get where I am now- Monet's _Water lilies_, Veermer's _Girl with a Pearl Earring_, anything from Frida Kahlo. I giggle to myself. Her self-portraits always made me laugh and her eyebrows made me laugh harder. I think she's amazing. At four years of age, I would draw my eyebrows with a black marker to look like her. My mom that is was hilarious. Most parents would not have exposed their child to such controversial art, but my mom thought it would broaden me as a person. I guess she was right.

In the mists of me trying to keep myself alive, I begin to hear voices. Great, now I am going crazy. I am actually losing it. The voices begin to get louder and louder. What is that? A TV? A radio?

"_Metro police have brought in the experts of the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit and are extremely determined to find Ms. Lucy McMillian. They say it's a top priority for them; one that must be solved in order to bring a bit of peace back to our dear city."_

That's me! That's me! They haven't forgotten about me! Then I hear another woman. She must be with the FBI. She rambles on something about an UNSUB and how they've nailed down a profile that they will be releasing to the police in surrounding areas. She also talks about hard core evidence. What kind of evidence could they possibly have? I am victim number ten, and they could have possibly got from me would have been my phone call with Dr. Reid.? I let out a small sigh of relief. Details don't matter right now. They are looking for me and that is my glimmer of hope.

Unexpectedly, he smashes wherever the broadcast was coming from. He has to know his time is short-is he going to kill me?

"They actually think they are going to find you!" He screams across the room. His voice echoes throughout the locker room and vibrates the floor where my cheek is laying. I say nothing in response. Then I get an idea. What if he thinks I am already dead? What if I don't move? It may be a dump plan or a long shot, but I have gotta keep myself alive long enough for them to find me.

"Wake up you stupid, stupid whore!" He walks closer to check on why I am not replying.

I try to make my breathing as shallow as possible. It's actually not that hard being that each time I inhale, every part of my body burns with intense pain.

He approaches me rapidly and kicks me in the back. As much as it hurt, it was nothing like the baseball bat. Even though my muscles tense a bit, I am able to leave my screaming to inside my head and make no sound. I want to live. Even if I die in a hospital bed, I can't do it here. Not like this.

"Damnit! It's not supposed to end like this!" He screams over and over again then gets quiet.

He couldn't have bought this. No way. Why on earth would he not finish the job? Why wouldn't he try harder to see if I was dead? He didn't even check a pulse. This guys has to be extremely spooked to not double check. I hear his footsteps leave out the back door. I let out a big sigh of part relief and part exhaustion. Not sure what to expect next, but I don't move.

Hours seem to go by, with no sign of Mr. Freak. I listen to every single sound around me. The creaking of the shower stall doors as the wind rustles in from the open windows. I hear the umbrellas flapping around outside and sirens signaling in the distance. Wait, sirens? It can't be. Dublin is so far from the road, there would be no way I could hear anything. They seem to be getting louder. How is that possible? It can't be. I listen for a few seconds longer when I realize that they really are getting louder. Extremely loud. More than one vehicle. My eyes begin to water, but I won't move-I just can't. I hear footsteps and I start crying historically. He knows he trapped so he is going to finish me off.

"FBI!" I hear a woman's voice. Next to my mother's, it's the best sound I have heard in ages.

"HELP! HELP ME!" I scream once I realize that it isn't him who is coming for me.

A young woman runs and crouches down in front of me. I attempt to look up at her. Dark shiny hair and a sweet smile. By the tears in her eyes, I don't think she expected to see me-at least not alive.

"Lucy McMillian?" I nod, but I am still in such disbelief I can't speak.

"I am SSA Emily Prentiss, and you..." she smiles even brighter, " you are going to be okay, I promise." I could hear her voice crack a bit. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a tissue and begins to wipe my face. She leans into her shoulder and says,

"Rossi! Reid! I found her! She's alive!"

Doctor Reid? He's here? My lip quivers and I cry even harder. Not exactly sure why, but knowing that he is here does unexplainable good to my mental state. Emily props my head in her lap and begins to rub my hair. I hear other footsteps rushing into the room, and someone begins to un-do ties around my wrist.

"Lucy!" I don't even know him that well, but I could recognize that innocent voice anywhere. He bends down in front of me and places his hand on my face.

"I wasn't going to stop looking for you." He cracks a small, sad attempt for a smile. The dark circles under his eyes proved that he wasn't lying. He didn't stop looking for me.

Emily keeps rubbing my hair, "Lucy, we are going to take you to the hospital now." She says very calmly. Her voice soothes and comforts through my pain and fear.

I use all of my strength to lift my head up and look at her, "please don't leave me."

She shoots a look at Spencer, when as I lay my head down he says, "I am not going anywhere."


	6. Chapter 6

**I had to get this chapter out tonight. I know you guys are probably wondering why in the heck did the UNSUB take Lucy in the first place, how they found her and why did the UNSUB leave her. I am not the best at coming up with the specifics, so bear with me.**

**Thanks again for you guys who have taken the time to read or to even review! I really do appreciate it!**

The world around me goes from dark and dreary to extremely bright. If I had to guess, I must be in the ambulance. I can't open my eyes very much, but I can see shadows hovering over me and muffled voices. My brain isn't registering much right now, but whatever is going on, this people seem to be in a rush.

I can feel various foreign objects on my and around my body. Once thing I notice is someone holding my hand, my good hand. I have no idea if it's male or female, but I don't care. I finally feel safe. With this new found safety, I fall back into darkness. This time, I am okay with it.

When I finally wake up again, I can tell it has been awhile. I still can't see very well, but the soft pillow beneath my head tells me I am in a bed. I lift my right hand and I can see there are a few tubes coming out of it, probably one of them is responsible for making me feel so darn awesome right now. I am not ready to look at my left hand. I turn my head and pull the cover over it so I can't look. I am not ready to see the damage. There is also some kind of contraption around the lower half of my body, I am going to take a guess and say that this is so I don't move it. Again, not really wanting to dwell on the bad stuff right now. I touch my hair and realized that I have been bathed and someone even braided my hair. A slight bit of shame goes through my mind, but then I realize how much more embarrassed I would be if I still looked and smelled like I did.

"Lucy?" A sweet unfamiliar voice snaps me outta my own little world.

I turn and look at her with a smile.

"I can't tell you how glad I am so see you awake, angel." She reaches out from her chair and grabs my hand. This is the cutest person I have ever seen. Crazy outfit and hair, I can't help but smile. She looks like someone I would hang out with or even teach in my class. But what is she doing here? Is she from the college?

"Do I know you?" I can't help but laugh at how horrible that just sounded. I should be grateful to have anyone waiting for me to wake up.

She smiles and shakes her head. "Unfortunately, you have not been graced with my presence before. But that is okay, doll," she gives me a wink and continues," I am Penelope Garcia."

Still a bit confused, I ask, "Are you from the college?"

"Oh no silly! I am with the FBI. I am the techie for Dr. Genius over there, and a few others you haven't met." She seems to laugh at herself. Penelope makes me smile even bigger. This lady doesn't even know me, but yet here she is, sitting by my bed. I didn't even noticed Dr. Reid passed out on the mini couch on the other side of the room. It makes me laugh again. Not sure where this giggling is coming from, but I can't help myself.

"May I ask, what are you doing here?" No harm in just asking.

"Reid refused for you to wake up alone." Penelope begins to lower her head. "I am the one who checked you out initially. I know you don't have any family. None of us wanted you to have to deal with this by yourself."

She was right. I didn't. There was no one who would have notice that I was gone. What else does she know about me? Why do these agents have such good hearts towards me? Weirdness must run in the Bureau.

"Thank you." I whisper and tears begin to fall. I am not sure I want to deal with this out in the open. What if I don't want help and I just want it to go away? The tears that begin to form in Penelope's eyes prove that isn't going to happen.

"How long have I been here?"

"Oh, three days, love." She smiles again.

"Three days? And I have been passed out the entire time?"

"You were in and out of surgery. It was really touch and go there for a while. I guess they doped you up enough not to remember anything in between. Between your injuries and dehydration, you are super blessed." The word "blessed" send chills down my spine-or what I think is my spine, I can't really feel much at the moment.

"Wow. I don't even know what to say. Umm, how long was I gone?" I am dreading this answer. I knew that my body was breaking down, but I had lost the track of the days. Occasionally that prick would bring me a tiny glass of water and a few crackers, but not enough to sustain me.

She looks like she doesn't want to give the answer when I heard his voice answer it for her, "Thirteen days. Almost two weeks." Spencer scoots up a chair on the other side of me. That poor boy. He looks like he too could sleep for days. How long has he stayed in the hospital?

"How are you feeling, Lucy?" He manages to give me a better smile than the one from a few days ago. This smile looks like it comes from relief more than anything.

"I feel a lot better, really." My voice begins to stutter, "I can't thank you guys enough. I heard the news conference and it was the only thing I could hold on to." Spencer and Penelope smile even bigger.

"That was JJ's idea," says Penelope. "She thought that if the UNSUB was monitoring the investigation, that maybe, just maybe you would be able to hear it. It was such a long shot, but thank God it worked."

"It pissed him off, didn't it?" Spencer inquires.

"Umm, it did. He began screaming after that and even destroyed the radio. "

"I knew he would. You see, we realized that he was keeping his victims for a long period of time, hoping that the investigation would grow cold. It took us so long to connect the murders together, to him, he figured he had won; even outsmarted us, if you will."

"How much time did I have until he would have killed me?" I could tell by the look on their faces, that this wasn't easy for them.

"One day. We had one day left before he would have…" Spencer held his head down for this one, "before he would have disposed of you."

I took a long, hard gulp. "He thought I was dead, or at least, I think he did."

They both looked surprised.

"What do you mean he thought you were dead?"

"After the broadcast, he was so angry I was so scared of what he was going to do. The only thing I could think of was to fake dead. I uh, made my breathing shallow and everything. He didn't even check. He kicked me one good time, but I was able to hold back from making any sound. He screamed at me and then he stomped out."

The look on Spencer's face didn't look good.

"Lucy, what did he say to you, before he left?" Spencer's concern began to worry me even more.

"I…I don't think I…"

Spencer grabs my hand, "please Lucy, what did he say? This is really important."

I close my eyes and try to go back, as painful as this is he must need to know for a good reason.

"I think he said something like, 'It's not supposed to end like this".

Spencer shoots up out of this chair and gets on his cell. "Hotch, it's Reid. Tucker is going to go after another girl."

I can feel the color draining from my face. "Who the hell is Tucker? Is that him? Why isn't he dead!"

I don't even notice that I am trying to get out of bed. Penelope jumps up and tries to calm me down.

"Lucy! Lucy! Stop baby, it's going to be okay, you're safe now." Her words are no longer comforting. I want to run, I want to run and never come back. Spencer hangs up and rushed back to my side.

"I am so sorry Lucy, but we didn't catch him. He left before we got to you."

His words singe my insides. The panic set in. It's been awhile since I have given into an attack, but at this point I don't care. My breathing gets really bad and Penelope runs to get the doctor. Spencer stays beside me and tries to calm me down.

"Lucy, you have to trust me. He is not going to come back. He is not going to hurt you again. I won't let him." There is actually genuine concern in his eyes. I am too far into my attack to make it stop on its own.

A nurse rushes into my room and puts an oxygen mask on my face. "Okay Lucy, you gotta calm down for me okay? Just take deep breathes for me and you'll be fine." The nurse rubs my hair. I can't help but concentrate on how pretty her skin is. It's so perfect, the color of chocolate mousse. She could have been a model for sure. Even her teeth are perfect. I read her name tag and it says, 'Toni Fischer R.A.' She reaches behind my head and turns the oxygen on. Easily I begin to breathe normal.

As the nurse begins to walk back out, Spencer turns to her and says, "Thanks so much Toni."

"First name basis, huh?" I taunt.

"What's that?" I guess he couldn't hear me through the mask. I pull it down so he can understand me, "I said, 'First name basis, huh?'" I could hear Penelope snort a giggle.

Spencer's face turns a bit red. "Well, since I have been here for three days waiting for Snow White to wake up…"

"Sleeping Beauty," Penelope interjects with her now infamous giggle.

"What? What are you talking about?" The genius actually looks a bit confused.

"Duh, Reid. It's Sleeping Beauty you are thinking about, not Snow White." I can't help but grin at this almost sibling-like feud.

"No no no. I really did mean Snow White. You see, Snow White was poisoned by an evil witch and..."

"REID!" Penelope howls at him, "we know the story; just get on with yours already!"

"Oh yea. I was just saying that I have been here awhile and so I kind of know everyone." He clears his throat and looks down at the floor. This bit of embarrassment is actually rather sweet-he seems more human now, than a life size super computer.

"Thank you, really Dr. Reid. I appreciate absolutely everything that you and your team have done." I flash my biggest and best smile. The joking around has already made me forget that my abductor is still roaming the streets.

"Lucy, you are more than welcome, and I think at this point-we can be on a first name basis as well." There is still a hint of red in his face, but I think he feels a bit proud of that comeback. Penelope must think so as well since I see her out of the corner of my eye giving Spencer a thumbs up and he, of course, smiles even bigger.

"Okay. Spencer it is." I can't help but grin when I say his name. "Umm, on a serious note, would someone like to fill me in on the damage here?"

Penelope jumps to her feet. "No, no, no, hun. You need to get some real rest now. You don't have to deal with that today."

"No. I want to. Please, I am going to have to know one way or another." The desperation in my voice causes it to quiver a bit.

Spencer walks closer to my bed and says, "Yea well, not today." He presses a button on a small machine above my bed.

Oh no, morphine. My eyes begin to close almost immediately. I guess he has won that argument. I hear his voice right before I am gone, "I promise Lucy, I'll be here when you get up."


	7. Chapter 7

**I hope you guys are enjoying reading this as much as I am writing it! And no, we are nowhere from being finished ;)**

For all of the sleep I didn't get before I was rescued-I definitely made up for it my first week in the hospital. I have no idea what the date or even the day is. I feel so turned around.

No one wants to talk about anything dealing with my injuries. The doctor has even waited until today to sit down with me. She said it was because she has to make sure I was stable and was less likely to go into an attack. In other words, "The news I am gonna to give you will suck-really bad."

Each time she comes and sees me, I feel an instant calm though. Dr. Sue Barnum. Absolutely the best doctor I have ever come in contact with. Even on her days off, she calls up to my room to check up on me. Her bed-side manner alone blows my mind. She is just one of those people whom you know is in the right field.

"Lucy! You are looking great today!" She says as she walks into the room. You can't help but feel a little relaxed with that type of attitude.

"Why thank you doctor. I do appreciate that"

Right behind her walks in Emily and Spencer. This makes me feel conflicted with feelings of relief and being too exposed. Do I really want them here for this? Do I want that kind of information shared with people I barely know? Then it hits me-why not? These people have been with you from day one, and they kind of saved my life. _Get over it Lucy._

"Hey Lucy! So good to see you up and at 'em this morning!" Emily announces the moment she sees me. Each time I look at her, I flash back to the teary relief in her eyes-the symbol that I was going to be okay.

"Thanks Emily, and hi Spencer." It is no secret what seeing this man does to me. The sad thing is, I am not sure why. We have barely had a conversation that has lasted more than a few minutes but yet he has stayed with my everyday-even if I am not awake. He has put a lot of effort into a non-existent relationship.

"Well good morning, Lucy. It is really good to see you up and smiling." Oh man. He really makes me feel like I am 16 again.

"Well everyone, let's get down to serious business," says Dr. Barnum as she closes the door. My stomach begins to do backflips.

"Lucy, I know you've been wanting to know the extent of your injuries, but please let me say this-what I am about to tell you may be hard to swallow, but this is just the extent of your injuries at this moment-this is not a death sentence."

"I know. Just go ahead and tell me."

Everyone's face in the room gets a bit serious, more serious than I am comfortable with. I wonder if Emily and Spencer already know, but are just here to help with my reaction.

"We will start from top to bottom. You did have some minor cuts and bruises on your scalp and neck, but nothing worth worrying about. The gash on your face, "oh gosh, I had forgotten about that, "it required about seven stiches. The scar is pretty noticeable now, but in about a year it will change to a silvery white color and will be easily covered with makeup."

Wow, seven stiches. What the heck did this guy slice me with?

"Okay. That's not too bad," I can tell no one is convinced by my shallow statement. I haven't looked at myself since I was rescued, so I really don't know if it is really that bad or not.

"I promise you it's not bad at all," Emily reaches out and touches my arm. Spencer smiles in agreement.

"Well I have a feeling that this is the easy stuff. Let's get to the harder ones, shall we?" I want to get this over with so bad.

"Alright, moving on- your hand. "

"No!" I yell. I even caught myself off guard.

"Please, please leave that for the end," I was relieved no one asked why. I can already feel the burn in my eyes as the tears swell.

"It's okay Lucy; we can take our time with this." Can I keep this doctor forever?

"We did a rape kit Lucy, when you first came to us." Spencer jumps up really fast, causing all three of us women to look at him awkwardly.

"I am going to step outside for this one Lucy, if that is okay with you?" This must make him feel uncomfortable. I am actually glad he excused himself.

"Sure. It's okay."

Once he is out of the door, Emily looks at me and says," He is just trying to be a gentleman, he doesn't want to make you feel weird or anything."

"I understand that. Very sweet of him. Go on doctor."

"We did the rape kit and there was a bit of damage to your insides. Lots of blood."

I cover my face. I knew what he had done, but my mind wouldn't even let me go there. Pure disgust envelopes me, and I start to get antsy on my bed. Dr. Barnum grabs my right hand. "Good news is you are not pregnant, and it looks like your injuries are actually very minor. We tested for STD's as well and everything came back negative."

I let out a very audible sigh of relief, and so does Emily. We look at each other and smile.

"The next thing for us to go over is your hip and thigh. This news is not as great. When he hit you with the baseball bat, he did some major damage. We have corrected what we can, but you will need extensive physical therapy to help you walk again."

"That's not so bad is it?" asks Emily.

"Well, that's not all. Because of the damage, your leg will never heal properly. You will be able to walk, no doubt about that, but you will need assistance.

"Assistance," I begin, "as in a walker?" That is not the news that I wanted. Stitches? Not bad. Rape, okay I can deal-but a walker? I don't want to be 25 and look like I am 80! Who the heck is going to want me then?

After a few minuets of silence, I snap myself out of my pity party just as Spencer knocks on the door.

"Umm, can I come back in? Is it safe?" His innocence makes me giggle.

"Sure you can. Girl talk is over," Emily replies as he makes his way back to the chair next to her.

"Lucy, you won't have to use a walker exactly, but a cane, which won't be too terrible," Dr. Barnum tries really hard to convince me of this-it isn't working.

"Lucy, it won't be as bad as you think right now. You are just trying to process so much negative information at one time. Just remember, you will get through this. You will get through this because you have people who want to make sure of that," Spencer shocks me with his tenderness. Apparently Emily is surprised at his rant as well by the look on her face.

"I'll be okay guys, really. Like Spencer said, I just gotta process all of this."

"Now Lucy, is it okay if we talk about you hand now?"

The tears begin to flow and there is no stopping them. I nod my head, even though I can tell that Dr. Barnum doesn't want to proceed.

"Lucy, Lucy, Lucy. It is not as bad as you think." I shoot her a stunned look. How can it not be bad? I saw my hand, I saw my fingers in the most ghastly positions.

"I know your hand looked bad at the time. That was merely the infection causing the discoloration and swelling. He did break all of your fingers, but not one was crushed. We were able to re-set every single one to its original position."

"Oh God!" I yell from my bed. I still can't keep from crying. That was the best news I could have heard through all of this. I look up at Emily, who is also tearing up. I lower my head and suddenly feel a hand on my back. Spencer had arranged himself next to me on the bed and put his arm around me. I instinctively lean into him and begin weeping. I have no idea how long they let me cry, but when I looked up, everyone was smiling. It felt so good to get that out.

"Your hand will heal wonderfully," she lifts my left hand up so I can see the bandages, " but do note that it will take a while to fully restore and to get your strength back. There may be a few quirks in the way your hand looks once it's healed, but I don't see how you will have any problem holding onto a paintbrush again," Dr. Barnum's smile stretches from ear to ear.

"Oh thank you! Thank you!" I express in between my sniffles.

"This is absolutely wonderful news, doctor," says Emily.

"I completely agree. Best news of the day," states Spencer.

"Other than that Lucy, you will make a remarkable recovery. No reason your life shouldn't go back to somewhat normal. If you need anything sweetheart, please let me know. I will do what I can to help," she leans in for a hug. "We will probably get you discharged within the next day or two. Again, let me know if you need anything."

"Thank you," is all I can say at this point as she exits the room.

Emily raises up from her chair, "Listen, I am going to let you two talk, I have some work to do back at the office." I really feel like she is making this one up, "Lucy, I am so glad that everything is working out for you."

"Thanks for coming, Emily; you really didn't have to." She smiles back as she begins to walk out the door.

"Call me on my cell if you need anything. It's written down next the phone by your bed."

Suddenly I am feeling ridiculously nervous now that Emily and Dr. Barnum are gone. It's just me and the genius.

"So how has your day been, Spencer?" Lame way to change the subject, but it seems to work.

"It has gone pretty decent. I caught up with some TV time, while waiting for you to wake up. I did some boring paper work then I got a call from Hotch and had to step out for a minute. That's been my whole day so far."

"Hotch? Who's Hotch?" Spencer begins to explain when there is a knock on the doorjamb.

"Aaron Hotchner. That would be me," a tall, dark and handsome man enters the room. Although he has a small smile on his face, his eyes scream of pain. This man has been through something, and isn't very good at hiding it.

He reaches out his hand, "it's so nice to finally meet you, Ms. McMillian."

"Oh it's Lucy," I shake his hand," and it's great to meet you too." I look at Spencer a bit confused.

"Lucy, Hotch is head of our BAU team, also known as my boss."

"Of course, of course. Sorry, my mind is a bit slow at the moment."

"With everything that you have been through, I completely understand." He walks forward and sits the chair closes to me as Spencer stands up and pulls the second chair up to the opposite side of my bed.

"Lucy, I know the past few days have been rough, and I feel horrible asking you this, but I need to take you back to your kidnapping. I need you to walk me through every detail."

"What? Why? Why do I have to do that right now?" At once I feel a hand on mine.

"You're safe Lucy. He can't hurt you anymore." Oh Spencer. You make it sound so easy.

"This is really important. I need every bit of information you can think of. Even if you think it's something small."

"Hotch, what's going on? Do we really need to do this right now? She may not be ready." Thanks Spencer.

"Spencer, it's not an option at the moment. Looks like Tucker has abducted another girl-and she's only 16."

I grab onto Spencer's hand really tight, now I don't have a choice but to relive the those horrible days and nights. I can only imagine that little girl's fear right now.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hope you guys are enjoying the story so far! Any feedback would be highly appreciated, let me know what you like or don't like! Thanks again for taking the time out to read this!**

"Thank you so much for doing this, Lucy. You have been a great asset to us," voices Hotch. We have just spent the past two and a half hours going over the turmoil of my abduction. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Penelope showed up half way through it and helped ease me a bit. It also helped that Spencer let me hold his hand through the whole deal even though I am not sure he even noticed.

As Hotch walks out of the room, Spencer follows to have what he calls a, "quick word". They stay out in the hall long enough to have about ten "quick words."

"What do you think they are talking about?" whispers Penelope.

"Uh, I dunno. Whatever it is, it looks pretty serious. Hotch isn't even smiling."

Penelope bursts out in her famous giggle. It has truly become one of my favorite sounds. "Oh sweetheart, that's totally normal. If he was smiling, that would be a time to be worried."

"Really? He speaks with such intensity. How do you deal with it every day?" All Penelope can do is smile.

"He's a really awesome boss. He has just been put through the ringer the past few years."

"I can completely see that." I don't want to go into any more details. This man's life shouldn't have to be put on display just because of his occupation.

"So," begins Penelope, "what's going down with you and Dr. Spencer Reid?" She can barely contain herself.

"Oh my gosh, Penelope! Nothing! I swear!" I about push her off of her chair next to me. I can feel all of the blood rushing to my face. I feel so exposed. What exactly is going on between us? Penelope is probably the only girl I could talk about this stuff with. I've never had very many friends growing up. I was looked down upon for being so much younger than the other kids in school. When I would get recognized for my artwork, many would make horrible remarks or try to sabotage me in any way possible. It was a living hell, or at least back then it was. This woman makes me feel like a normal person. She also keeps things light and positive; I need people like this in my life.

"Come on, Lucy! I see the way you two look at each other. Plus, he talks about you all of the time." Her grin has now stretched from ear to ear.

"What? He talks about me? To who?"

"Umm, like everyone! I even heard him talking to Derek once about how he thought you were so pretty," she begins to whisper in case Spencer were to walk back in. I am sure by now that if he did, I would not be able to look at him.

"First off, who the heck is Derek? Second, when did he say that?" My curiosity is getting the best of me.

"Oh Derek. He is a superfox, in other words-he will blow your mind. I can't wait for you to meet him!" Her excitement cracks me up. Guess I can't wait to meet this guy either. "Oh and Reid told Derek the day he met you at the college. You should have seen his face when I ran the number from his cell and traced it to you. He was really excited. He thought you were just calling because you wanted to talk."

"Really? He was excited?" I am completely overwhelmed with flattery right about now.

"He was. Now, the look he had the last time you talked, when you were you know, taken? That is a brokenness that will always be etched in my mind. I have seen him wrecked plenty of times before, but for some reason this was certainly different."

"Wow," at this point, I am completely speechless.

"Sorry ladies, for walking out like that." Apparently it was good that I didn't say anything, now that the subject of our conversation has walked back in. Penelope can't stop smiling. I can already see the wheels in her head turning.

"It's okay," is about all I can get out.

"I bet it is," I hear Penelope state under her breath. I seriously feel like I am back in grade school where your best friend is trying to hook you up with someone. Or at least, I think that's how it goes.

"Why don't I order us something to eat? Lucy, I can imagine you're probably pretty sick of hospital food," I barely heard what he said. I am still lingering on Penelope's confession.

"Oh you two go ahead! I've got to get out here. More um, you know, techie stuff to do?" I could tell she is just trying to get us to be alone. My palms are already getting clammy.

"Okay then. Well I shall see you tomorrow?" says Spencer.

"Sure will, love. You too Lucy. I'll be back tomorrow to hang out whenever I get off work. Call me if you need anything! Even if you just want to talk, about…anything in particular." I could tell exactly what she means. She leans in to give me a hug then waves to Spencer as she walks out the door.

"She's so great." I smile, hoping not to sound too nervous.

"Yea, she is." Although I might not sound nervous, Spencer is starting to look it.

"So," he begins, "are you hungry?"

"I am starved! You were right, I am sick of hospital food. I could eat an entire horse right now if it walked in the room!" Food can take your mind off of anything, I am sure of it.

"The probability of someone actually being able to devour a horse, in its entirety, is…" he cut himself off. I began to laugh. I could tell that spitting out statistics is a comfort zone for him.

"Your mind amazes me." The fact that I just said that amazes me.

"Really?" he begins to scratch his head, "Most people think it's weird or annoying. I don't think anyone has said it's amazing except for professors and such." He gives me a small grin.

"I think its super cool. I would rule the world if I had your brain."

"Well, that is number two on my bucket list, actually."

We both begin laughing.

"Clearly, Ms. McMillian, I am holding you up from eating that horse. What would you like to eat? Just name it. Since this is supposed to be official business, me watching you and all, we can ask Uncle Sam to pay for it," I can already see him beginning to loosen up.

"You know what? Surprise me. Anything sounds good at this point."

"Alright, I will be back shortly." He reached into his pocket and pulls out a familiar white card. He sets it beside of my phone. "Just in case you need anything." I can't control the smile that is on my face right now, even as he walks out of the door. I do notice that immediately he dials a number on his phone. Who could he be calling?

Once he leaves, I phone the nurse. I need to at least try to look decent. Penelope brought me an overnight bag filled with stuff from my apartment a few days ago. Maybe I could do something with my hair and put some real clothes on.

The nurse comes in and helps me into the bathroom. Not realizing it I glance into the mirror-I am shocked at what I see. There are still a few bruises around my face. Not to mention the gash on the side of my face that begins at my right temple and goes half way down towards my chin. I feel like I am going to be sick. "You are still a beautiful girl," says the nurse. "Let me help you, okay?" I look at her with tear filled-eyes. Spencer probably doesn't think much of me now.

The nurse helpes me get into a pair of blue running shorts and a black tank. I can't have too much rubbing up against certain areas of my body, so this is about as dressy as it's going to get for a while. The nurse even helps with my hair. She smooths my hair off to the right side and braids it. When I look into the mirror I can barely see the scar. She did a great job at helping it look less noticeable with my braid. I look at her and give her a huge hug. She certainly aided me more that she can imagine.

She helps me into a chair with my leg propped up. It's pretty swollen at both surgery points, but she places a blanket over me, so I don't even have to look at it. Somehow, she must have caught on that this was all about a boy, because she scoots a table from the hallway into my room and places it in front of me. Then she scoots another chair next to me.

"It's like a real date," I say out loud.

"It is, isn't it? If it makes you feel any better, I don't think I have ever seen a boy look at a girl the way that smart one looks at you. He even watches you while you sleep."

"He does what?" That's a little weird.

"No, no, no. Not like that," she giggles, "He looks so genuinely happy. It's very sweet to watch him watch you.'

"Talk about voyeurism!" We both crack up.

"Can I ask you something?" The nurse looks a bit confused.

"Sure hun, anything."

"What do I do? I mean, we don't really know each other, and I have never been in any sort of relationship. What do I do?"

She smiles and with all confidence answers, "be his friend. A true friend. Everything else will fall into place." She hugs me and walks out.

As I wait for Spencer to return, I can't help my nerves at all. I keep trying to looks at this as two friends hanging out, but it's hard. We already have a serious story line going on between us. He saved my life for goodness sakes.

Before I could think another thought, there is a knock at my door. It's him, and he's holding flowers.

"Is it okay if I come in?" I can't even answer before he walks in. No food to be seen, but a huge bouquet of assorted flowers. Yellow roses, white daisies, purple tulips, blue snapdragons and some green little flower that looks like a powder puff. They are simply gorgeous.

He begins to fiddle with the wrapping around the flowers, and can't even look at me.

"I got you these," he hands the flowers to me, "I thought they were pretty so, umm…"

I could immediately tell that he wasn't exactly sure what to say, so I jumped in, "Wow! They're beautiful! Thank you so much. I don't think I have gotten flowers since my first dance recital in the third grade.

"I am glad that you like them." He then looks up at me like he has just seen me the first time. "Wow, you're out of bed. Not sure how I missed that. You look really nice, Lucy." He immediately looks down at the floor.

"Thank you Spencer." The amount of adrenaline that is running though my body at this time could fuel the whole hospital. This guy really makes me light up.

"Well, uh, let me go get the food okay?" All I can do is giggle. As smart as he is, he is looking really confused. He walks out the door and grabs his cell again. Who the heck is he talking to?

Within a few minutes, he returns, food in tow. Looks like Chinese. Oh yum!

He sits the food down on the table without saying a word. He then sits down next to me, but never actually makes any eye contact. So I attempt to break the ice.

I reach out my hand and place it on his arm, "thank you Spencer. I really do appreciate what you have done."

He looks up a bit confused. "Lucy, it's really no big deal. It's just food, and I didn't even have to pay for it…"

I begin laughing. "No silly! Not just for the food, which I am highly thankful for, but for everything. For watching out for me, and stuff."

My own nervousness is beginning to kick in. He looks at me and smiles. A pretty big one this time. "You are very welcome, Lucy."

Time to break up the mushy stuff. "Wow, this food looks great! I am starving!"

"Yea me too. Hope you like it."

Before I could even answer I begin stuffing my face. The rest of the evening went really well. We talked about everything from growing up, to Doctor Who, to the music on our iPods. I had a blast just talking. It wasn't until Spencer's phone rang did I realize we have been talking for over three hours!

He answers the phone and turns away from me. He starts to whisper, but I can still hear him.

"Derek. Derek. I don't need you right now." Uhuh, should have known. That must have been who he was talking to each time he left the room. Was he asking Derek for advice? The thought made me get that fuzzy feeling inside. Then I heard Spencer's voice get serious. "Oh okay. We will be right there," then he hangs up.

He looks at me and says," Lucy, I gotta take you to the BAU."

"Huh? What? Tonight?"

"Yea, tonight. I am so sorry."

"Why Spencer? Why tonight?"

"Well, they want to put you into protective custody. They received a message from Tucker this evening claiming he doesn't have that 16 year old girl-but that he wants you back."

My heart just sinks.


	9. Chapter 9

**Oh no-is Tucker going to find Lucy? We shall see…. Shout-out to ****lolyncut**** for being such a prompt reviewer. Anyways, again-I appreciate you taking the time to read-especially this far! **

"If I go into protective custody, I won't be able to see you anymore until he is caught! I won't be able to see or talk to any of you! I don't want to live like that, Spencer! I just don't!" I was shocked at how easy it was to be completely honest with him. The look on his face was pure sadness. Maybe he didn't want me to go away either.

"Don't think about that right now. Let's just get you ready and focus on keeping you safe." Such the logical thinker. "It's kind of cold outside, so you're shirt and shorts are probably not the best option."

"Oh yea, right. Umm, I have some sweats and a hoodie in my bag, right over there." I point to the bright blue overnight bag that Penelope had brought me. He begins to look in it when to my horror he accidently pulls out a bright red, lacy bra. Why on earth would Penelope pack me that?

"Oh my gosh!" I scream. Spencer's face is that of complete horror as he stuffs the bra back into the bag. Me? I can't stop laughing.

"Lucy, I…I am so so sorry." He picks the bag up and sets it on the bed for me. "I think it would be better if you go through it now." At this point, I am laughing so hard that tears are running down my face. It's getting to the point of having that "silent laugh."

"It's not that funny , Lucy." He tries to look stern and serious. It doesn't help, I still keep cracking up.

"I am, so sorry Spencer," I manage to get out. "That wasn't a set up, I promise!" He looks at me and the seriousness erases from his face, and he begins to crack up as well. They are right; laughter is indeed good for the soul. In these moments, I forget everything. Losing my mom, being alone, moving to a new city, getting kidnapped and now falling for someone. I just get to enjoy the very moment that I am in and it feels so extraordinary.

"I'll get my clothes out from now on, Spencer. But I am going to need you to help me put them on." Not realizing what I just asked, I am confused by the horror in his face. "Oh gosh, I'm not going to be naked! I just need help pulling them over the clothes I have on! You think I am some sort of freak, don't you?"

"I'm from Vegas Lucy, you haven't hit that mark yet." His perfect smile reassures me that he doesn't think I am nuts. We will look back at this one day, and laugh…hopefully.

"So I pull out a grey pair of baggy sweats and a black hoodie. Nothing fashionable it seems. Spencer first helps me put a pair of socks on. Not many guys would be up for that task. Thank God my pedicure still looks a bit decent. "Guess this is what Cinderella felt like, huh?" Spencer looks up and smiles, "probably something like this."

Then he helps me slip my leg into the pants, I hadn't thought about the fact that he would have to assist in pulling the up too. "Just help me stand up, and I think I can get them on the rest of the way." He helps me to my good leg, but I fall right into his arms. My legs are still pretty weak, from not walking on them for so long.

"Here, I can help." He puts my arms around my neck and begins to pull the pants up to my waist. I hold my breath. It seems to not even bother him, but being this close to him makes my heart skip a beat. _Be his friend. Be his friend. Be his friend._ No way do I want to ruin this by getting all crazy on him. I try to act like I am not fazed by the fact that his hands are on my hips and my lips are inches from his.

He sits me back down in my chair and hands me the hoodie. I can get it on, on my own, but it takes me a bit.

"So how do you feel? Are you warm?"

"Yea, I'm okay." Just as I answer he takes the blanket off my bed and puts it in my lap. "You can't just take the blanket, Spencer!"

"They can just put in on the tab. I doubt they'll miss it.' He smiles at me and begins to walk out of the door. "I am going to get a wheelchair, I'll be right back."

That kid astonishes me.

Just as he leaves, my room phone rings. It must be Penelope. She's so darn nosy-but I love it! I pick up the phone, "Nothing has happened, Penelope!" I laugh.

"It's so good to hear your voice again. Oh how I have missed you." My heart sinks. It's not Penelope.

"What the hell are you calling me for?"

"My Lucy, I can tell you have missed me too. That act you did on me was pretty clever. It really broke my heart. Your cleansing isn't finished. But that's okay, we will be together soon. They can't keep us apart forever-I promise."

"Leave me alone!" I scream just as Spencer walks into the door. He rushes to my side.

"What's wrong? What happened?" I look at him and begin to cry. I hand him the phone.

"It's him! He called me! He knows where I am at and he knows where you are going to take me!" At this point, I am in full sobbing mode. Spencer grabs the phone and puts it to his ear. He must have heard a dial tone because he immediately hangs up. He whips out his cell phone.

"Hotch, you gotta get Garcia to track a call from Lucy's room. It's Tucker, he's closing in." He immediately hangs up and crouches down in front of me.

"Lucy, I am not going to let him near you. I can promise you that. As long as I am with you, you are safe." But what did that mean when they put me into protective custody. Spencer can't be there with me.

Spencer begins to help me into the wheelchair. I am trying to stop crying, but I am still whimpering a bit. He hands me my discharge papers, and I quickly sign them. The faster I get out of here, the better.

Spencer grabs my bag and begins to wheel me out to his car. Black SUV. I feel like the President. Getting into the car was a bit of a challenge, but I made it. The air outside was quite cool, so I am glad that Spencer convinced me to add on a layer. I keep thinking back to that moment-being so close to him.

"Are you warm enough?" Spencer says as he closes his door, snapping me out of la-la land.

"I am fine." I turn and begin to look out of the window. As much as I want Spencer's promise to bring me comfort-it doesn't. His time with me is limited now. Suddenly I feel a hand on mine, "Lucy, please don't worry. Everything is going to work out." As much as I don't believe him, I still flash him a small smile.

We ride in silence most of the way to the BAU. I want to say something, but nothing good comes to mind. Once we arrive. Spencer whips out his badge and away we go. Getting out of the SUV is a lot harder than it was getting in. The nice part is I get to feel close to him again. He sets me into the wheelchair and puts the blanket he stole on top of my legs. He then proceeds to push a piece of hair that has fallen into my face, back behind my ear. In my head it meant something, but that's because I am a girl and we read into things way too hard. I am sure he was just being simply nice Spencer.

He wheels me into the office, and into a conference room. There I see Aaron Hotchner and Emily. I also see a great big hunk of a man, which must be Derek, a pretty blonde and a man who looks like he could run the Italian Mob. Spencer begins to introduce them as Derek, JJ and David Rossi.

"So good to meet you all, even if it is on these terms."

"Lucy!" I can hear Penelope behind me. She runs around and gives me a big hug. "Sorry, I am late. I just got the call. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, really I am." I can tell she isn't convinced, but she doesn't press on either. We make our way to the table. I have Spencer on one side of me, and Penelope on the other. I lean into Penelope and whisper, "you were right, he is a superfox." Immediately Penelope bursts into laughter.

"Oh I am so sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt." Penelope responds to Aaron's harsh glare. She then proceeds to elbow me in the rib cage. It stung, but I deserve it.

Hotch begins, "you guys know why we are here. We have correspondence from Riley Tucker stating the he does not in fact have sixteen year old Rebecca Gardner, but has made it clear that he wants Lucy back."

"Why the hell does he want her back? To finish the job? And who is to say he doesn't have Rebecca?" asks Derek. He took the words right out of my mouth.

"We aren't sure, but if did have her, I think we would have found a body at this point. We are going to assume he doesn't have her and make a separate profile for the UNSUB that has Rebecca," adds Hotch.

David Rossi begins, "He needs to fulfill whatever fantasy he has going on in his head. When Lucy played dead she messed up the fantasy, in a way that he couldn't complete it. The fact that he knows she is alive, is really going to piss him off. His routine has been broken."

"Our only option right now is to find Tucker. While we do that we are going to have to put Lucy into protective custody. Her life will continue to be in danger until Tucker is behind bars." Hotch's words sting. When will I ever be able to go back to being normal? This man has already taken so much from me.

Hotch continues, "Under these new circumstances, I don't feel right putting Lucy out there by herself with a bunch of agents she doesn't know. He life has already been torn apart, I don't want to continue the pattern." I shoot a glance at Spencer, who in returns shrugs his shoulders.

"I am placing Reid with Lucy until further notice. We already have a location planned for them and they will be retreating there at the conclusion of the meeting."

"What? You can't take Reid off this case, we need him to find this bastard," interjects Derek. He looks pretty upset.

"Reid will still be on this case. This is a decision I made before the circumstances were inline. Garcia has fitted a laptop with a pretty sturdy firewall. This is how all communication will be made with Reid and the rest of the team. No cell phones-period. Reid and Lucy will each have a cell that is only equipped to phone 911 and my cell, automatically if it is turned on."

JJ asks, "But won't Tucker be able to trace the computer back to Lucy and Reid?"

"No," adds Penelope. "That computer is going to bounce from tower to tower with an almost untraceable line. No way would he be capable of tracing them from the laptop. I made sure of that. I also tried to locate him through the number he used to call her at the hospital, it was from a payphone near Dublin."

"He's still in the same area? What is this guy thinking?" wonders Emily. "That's going to be a great place to scout this guy out."

Spencer looks at me and smiles. He leans in and says, "I told you that I would make sure you were safe."

"You knew, didn't you?" Why didn't he just tell me? He doesn't answer, but just smiles. I am in such a daze at this point I miss the rest of the meeting. Next thing I know I am back in the SUV going to God knows where. We stop at a car lot that should be closed at this hour. But there is a bald guy in all black waiting next to a silver minivan. Is this guy serious? A minivan is the best the government could do for us? The thought of us riding in such a family car made me smile, and then I shook it off. What the heck was I thinking?

About an hour later, we reach a small house set off from the road. It looks like a house from a fairy tale. Super small with tons of pretty flowers already blooming along the front. There is even a wheelchair ramp to the door.

"It's like playing house, adult style," I say as Spencer wheels me up the ramp. I can hear him laugh a bit. This is going to be pretty awkward.

"I hope that you'll be comfortable here. We tried to make it easy to for you to get around."

"We? You already had this planned?" I ask.

"Well it was Hotch and me. He thought that it was a good idea to put you into hiding for a bit, but we weren't expecting it to be so soon. "

We enter the house and it's so adorable I can't stand it. It's a two bedroom house with a tiny kitchen and one bathroom. There's a flat screen in the living room, and next to it, on a table is the infamous laptop-our only way to the outside world. All of a sudden, I am feeling a bit claustrophobic.

Spencer quickly helps me into bed, as I am beyond exhausted.

He begins to talk out the door when, "Wait!" I snap at him. I begin to be filled with alarm.

"Is something wrong, Lucy?"

"I know this is going to sound really weird. But can you at least stay and lay with me until I go to sleep? New house, new room and with everything that has been going on-I would feel a lot better if you were here. It's not a ploy to get you into bed, I promise." I wink at him. He stands there for a second looking like a nervous little boy, when he looks up and says, "Sure. I don't want you to feel scared anymore." He melts my heart.

He goes off to change into something more comfortable and returns pretty swiftly. He climbs into the queen size bed and I can tell this is probably one of the first times or it's been a while since he's hopped into bed with a female. The coldness in the house makes me immediately get close to him. I lay my head on his shoulder and begin to immediately fall asleep. The last thing I hear before I am out is, "Goodnight Lucy, I won't let anyone hurt you anymore."


	10. Chapter 10

**Remember, I still don't own Criminal Minds or its characters! FYI, Spencer's hair begins as more from earlier seasons. You'll understand once you finish the chapter. **

Although I feel like I have slept until noon, when I open my eyes, just bits of morning sun are shining though my window. I realize that I have woken up in the exact same positing I fell asleep in. But there is something missing. I run my hand along the opposite side of the bed and all I feel is emptiness. For whatever reason, this causes a bit of a panic and a swiftly sit up out of bed and take in my surroundings. I can already feel my breathing becoming labored, as I try to listen for any sound that will help me to relax. The house just seems too quiet. I look down at the pillow beside me and see a note.

_Don't worry, you're not alone. _

_Woke up early to do some work with Garcia and Emily on the computer._

_I am out in the living room if you need me._

_Physical Therapy begins at 9a.m. _

_If I were you, I'd be getting ready by now. _

Wonderful how a simple note can change your mood instantly. I look at the clock on my nightstand and it says, eight fifteen. He wasn't kidding! He could have at least came and woke me up! I slip into my wheelchair and roll myself into the bathroom. When I look into the shower, I am not amused. There in all of its white glory, sits an old person's chair. The kind I used to see in my Aunt Alma's shower. I even have my own shiny handle to help me in and out. Uggh. I feel so broken.

I finish taking a shower and slip back into another pair of green running shorts with a white t-shirt. I am beginning to get the hang of putting my own pants on-even if it takes fifteen minutes to do so. I grab my socks because I am so worn out from putting the shorts on, that I don't even want to make the effort to put these on. I quickly brush my hair and pin it to the side, trying my best to hide the scar. A bit of lip gloss and out the door I go. I wheel into the living room to see Spencer passed out on the couch.

"So this is what an FBI agent's work looks like, huh?" I say loudly, to make sure he can hear me. He immediately jumps up in surprise.

"Good grief. What time is it?" I can tell that when he said he got up early, he meant at the crack of dawn. I wheel up next to him, "It's eight fifty-seven." Yeah, we aren't going to make it to PT on time.

"Dang it. I'm sorry Lucy. I didn't mean to fall asleep. I swear I was just going to close my eyes for a second."

"What time did you get up? Or did you even sleep?" Curiosity gets the best of me.

"I believe it was 5 or so. I heard the computer beep so I went to go check it out. It was Garcia with some new info. We stayed and chatted with Emily trying to figure out a new lead. I heard you turn on the shower, so I laid down for a few minutes. Had no idea how exhausted I was."

"I'm sorry. We don't have to go, you know? " I flash him my biggest grin. I'll do anything to not have to endure pain for two hours.

"Right. Let's just stay here and forget about." I knew he was on my side.

"Yes. I completely agree. There is so much more interesting things to do around here." Really, there is? I haven't noticed.

"I am getting some coffee. I'll let you message Hotch and tell him you're not coming." Oh no. That's a man I would never want to piss off. I give Spencer my best 'mad' impression.

He laughs, "We'll take off in five."

After Spencer gets his coffee, we take off in our perfect little family minivan. I can't help but laugh each time I see it. Spencer is just not look like the minivan type.

"So how did you sleep last night?" asks Spencer.

"I slept like a baby-really. I don't think I moved all night. No dreams, no nothing. When I woke up, I thought it was going to be super late in the afternoon."

"Yea, you didn't move at all." The reality of the fact that Spencer and I slept in the same bed last night finally hits me. What if I drooled on him? Or snored? I have no idea if I snore or not. Oh man, why the heck did I think it was a good idea to ask him to lay down with me?

Changing the subject, "So what news did Garcia bring?"

"Oh nothing much. Just some info we already had. I won't stress you with details. Are you excited about physical therapy?" He looks at me and smiles.

"Do you get excited about going to the gynecologist?" I try to keep my face straight, but it isn't working. We both look at each other and crack up. Before I know it, we have arrived back at Quantico.

"Wait, is it me or did it seem longer yesterday to get to the house? I thought we were in another city?"

"Nope. We are actually just a few miles from here. We did it that way just in case something was to happen. I drove around in a circle yesterday in case anyone was following us. Today I couldn't drive very long since we are already super late. "

"By the way, why are we here and not the hospital?" I ask as he helps me into my wheelchair.

"Hotch doesn't want to take any chances. The therapist doesn't even know who you are, really. He's going to think that you are an agent who was injured on the job. Oh and your name, while you're here, is June Edwards. "

"June Edwards? Like Leave it to Beaver, June?" I laugh.

"Wait. You said my therapist is a guy? Is he cute?" I couldn't help myself.

"Cute? I dunno! What does it matter?" Hmm. Did I see a hint of jealousy? Hopefully so.

"Oh Spence, don't freak out. Smart guys with real jobs aren't really my type anyways." I wink as I wheel myself into the lobby. Where in the world is this flirtation coming from? I'll just say it's from the nerves, they're pretty bad right now.

Once we get into the BAU, Derek comes by and hands me my official FBI badge. Not going to lie, even if its fake-it's pretty awesome. Spencer wheels me into a back meeting room, where I meet my therapist for the next six months.

A tall blonde with huge biceps walks over and shakes mine and Spencer's hand. "Hi, my name is Landon Myers and I'll be helping you out for the next couple of months." Saying this guy was hot was an understatement. The look on Spencer's face is priceless.

"Guess I'll see you in a few hours, Spencer." Hopefully he won't be too upset. This guy may be hot, but his arms look like they would pop if I put a pin in them.

"Umm Lucy, if you don't mind, I'd like to stay and uhh…watch. If that's okay with you, of course?" I am beyond happy that he decided to stay with me and it shows by the smile on my face. I really don't feel right without him around. I have certainly got attached to the boy genius.

As the two hours go by, poor Spencer. He looks as uncomfortable as I feel. This therapist has had his hands all over me. I joked about this in the beginning, but really-I don't like this. I can't imagine going through this for six months.

As Landon leaves, Spencer asks, "So, that wasn't entirely bad, was it?" He's fishing all right.

"It sucked, Spence. I mean it really, really sucked. Don't make me do this again, please?" It was evident that this reassured him that I had no interest in this guy at all. Does he even know that it is he who drives me crazy?

As we leave the conference room, Penelope comes dashing from her office right to Spencer, and hands him a piece of paper. As he begins to read it, the worried lines appear on his forehead.

"What is it? What's going on Spencer?"

Penelope replies, "It's Tucker. He sent another letter. This time addressed to Reid."

_I see how you look at her. You think it isn't obvious. You are trying to turn he against me! I won't let this happen. She's my property. Just because you're smart, doesn't mean you'll outsmart me. I will get her back. _

_-Tucker_

_PS. If I ever see you in bed with her again, I will kill you._

"What the hell is this?" Spencer throws the paper down on the floor and takes off towards Hotchner's office. I have only known him a short time, but I have never seen him so angry.

"Oh gosh. Poor Reid." Penelope puts her hand to her mouth. "Wait, you guys slept together?"

"No Penelope! Not like that." I begin to tear up. "I asked him to lie in bed with me so I could sleep. I just wanted him near, I..I... Why won't this guy leave me alone?" I didn't realize that I was screaming the last part of my conversation until Penelope crouches down in front of my chair and begins to hold me. I am so livid at this point. Why can't they catch this guy.

"Lucy, please, please don't cry." It's Emily. "We are going to get this guy. He can't keep taunting forever. That's usually when they start to make mistakes." Emily pats me on the back and walks off. I couldn't even say anything to her.

Finally after a few minutes, Aaron calls another meeting. He fills everyone in on the note. Spencer is still angry. He won't even look up.

"We are going to send Reid and Lucy a bit farther away. We are also going to have them both alter their appearences some. Another tactic we are going to use is to try and fool Tucker into believing that we no longer have Lucy in our custody. "

David Rossi begins, "We are going to pass out missing fliers for Lucy. JJ is also going to hold a press conference stating that she's been kidnapped. Hopefully this will enrage Tucker enough to correspond some more."

I look at Spencer in disbelief, but he won't even glance at me. Is he mad at me? Is he upset that he even bothered to help me now? Maybe he's mad that Tucker wants to come after him.

"Penelope is going to help you, Lucy change your appearance a bit. Once that is finished you both will take the jet somewhere that only I know about. There is no way that Tucker will be able to follow."

Again, Spencer doesn't even look up. Penelope and Emily come and help me into the bathroom. They lock the doors and pull out two huge black duffels. Penelope pulls out hair dye and scissors.

"No. No. No. Please guys, please no." I can already feel the tears welling up. I love my long red hair. It's the one thing that makes me, well-me. It's such a comfort zone.

"Listen Lucy, I know this is going to be hard. But this is a matter of life and death. Not just yours, but now Reid's as well." Emily comes and holds my hand.

"I think Spencer regrets helping me. He wouldn't even talk or look at me during the meeting."

"Oh God no! No Lucy, that's not it at all. Reid is just so worried about you. He told Hotch that he felt like he had failed you. He promised to protect you, but yet this guy is still closing in, that's all. I honestly don't think that Reid would take back a second he has had with you."

"I second that one, lady," says Penelope.

I wipe my eyes and look down at the floor. "Okay guys, let's just get this over with."

For the next hour or so, I wouldn't even look into the mirror. Once Penelope gets the scissors, I just close my eyes. I can tell that she is taking off quite a bit. She hands my pony tail to me. "Listen angel, I'll donate this for you-so you don't feel like it was just selfish reasons." She knew exactly what to say. The hair dye was next and I was shocked at the color she chose. It was a chocolate brown. Once dyed Emily went and began to blow dry and style while Penelope worked on my makeup. Then came the clothes. Emily pulled out a crisp white, strapless, cotton dress and flats. They both helped me into and started with putting jewelry on. Emily adds, "For right now, we are going to put a big bangle on your left wrist to cover up some of the scarring. You won't have to worry too much once you land." I just shake my head.

"Where's Spencer?" I ask.

"Oh he's getting his hair cut and some new clothes. He's going to meet you at the airport," replies Emily.

"Wait. Who is taking me to the airport then?"

Before I could even think of panicking, Penelope replies, "I am. As far as we know, Tucker doesn't know what I look like. So I am going to wish you off." What a big sigh of relief.

"What about the wheelchair? Kind of a dead giveaway, huh?"

"Not exactly," says Penelope as she walks over into the back corner where another large bag is laying. She pulls out this wrapped gift that is in the shape of an extra-large candy cane.

"No you didn't Penelope, a cane? Really?" Emily and Penelope begin cracking up.

"It's not just an ordinary cane, just open it!" Yells Penelope.

I begin opening it, and I am shocked at what I see. It's a beautifully crafted wooden cane, that has simple white flowers painted all the way up it. "Oh my gosh, Penelope-did you make this?"

"I sure did!" she replies. "I wanted you to have something that made you feel like you again. I can't imagine how hard all of this is." No wonder I keep this girl around. "Oh wait, Emily has something for you too!"

Emily returns with another gift bag. "I had no idea that you were leaving, but I wanted you to have something to help start over." Once I open the bag, I am shocked at what I see. It's a black leather messenger bag. When I open the flap and unzip it, it's filled with various sketch books and art supplies. All I can do is stare.

"God Emily, you didn't have to do this."

"Oh I know. But it's not every day that I get to get close to a case like this. You have changed all of our lives. You helped us all realize why we do what we do every day. Not to mention, you have made one serious impression on Reid." She leans down and hugs me.

"Ooo, before I forget!" Penelope jumps up, "your contacts!"

"Contacts? But I don't wear glasses."

"Yea I know, but these are just colored. They will change those Irish greens, to a bright baby blue."

Penelope immediately helps me put them in. Now for the reveal. They help me to get to my good foot out of the wheel chair, then hands me my cane. It's easier that I thought it was going to be, but my legs still feel really wobbly. I look in the mirror, and I am shocked at what I see. My hair is slicked down into an angled bob that lands right at my shoulders. Dark brown hair, smokey eyes, nude lips. The blue eyes really freak me out. I do look different, but I actually like it.

"Wow guys, this is insane. I can't…" There's a knock on the door.

"Ladies, time to go." I can tell that it's JJ's voice.

As we exit, Aaron comes up to me, "Great job ladies. Talk to you soon, June."

I am guessing that 'June' is my new alias.

Penelope and I barely talk as we head to the airport. She too, takes a pretty long route. "I honestly can't wait to see Reid's reaction to you. It's going to be priceless, ya know?"

All I can do is laugh. What will Spencer think of me?

We arrive at the airport, and we wait in the car as they load up my luggage. Not much going, but Penelope fills me in that she's sure that Spencer and I will have a chance to go shopping for anything that we will need-including clothes. Wow, this could be dangerous. As we sit in the car, I see Derek arrive with Spencer. He hops out and I am speechless. His shoulder lengeth hair has now been cut pretty short. He's wearing a white button up, with black slacks. He kind of looks older. But wow, still very sexy.

"Pick your jaw off the floor, hun," Penelope giggles.

"He looks great. What can I say?" I can tell that my face is turning every shade of red. We hop out of the car and Spencer rushes my way, then stops dead in his tracks.

"Lucy?" He whispers. "Is that you?"

"Do you know anyone else who walks with a cane?" I giggle as I look down at the ground. I am not sure what he thinks of my transformation. Maybe he will think it's too much.

"Wow. You look astounding. Really, you look great." He walks a bit closer.

I can barely stop smiling. Spencer reaches out his hand and hands me a black wallet. I open it and see my picture on a brand new ID. Apparently, my name is still June Edwards and I am from Chicago. I grab Spencer's to see what his new name is. His name is Charlie Edwards and he too is from Chicago.

"Charlie Edwards, huh? Are you like my brother?" Penelope and Derek begin to crack up.

"No, I'm your husband."


	11. Chapter 11

**Hope there wasn't too many type-o's in the last chapter. I was trying really hard to get through that one. Had so much to write about, but I wanted to get to this chapter Tell me what you think!**

"My husband?" I gulped.

"Yeah, it's to make our traveling a bit more belivable. We are actually going on our honeymoon."

"Honeymoon? Wow. Whoa." I am completely speechless.

"Oh oh oh, Pretty Boy, you totally made that story up, didn't you?" asks Derek.

"I swear I didn't! That was in my packet!" He then reaches into his pocket and pulls out a ring box. My mouth pretty much drops to the floor.

He opens it to reveal a gorgeous emerald cut diamond solitaire with white gold matching band. I glance down at his finger and notice he already has his 'wedding band' on. This is getting so weird.

"That's a real diamond!" yells Penelope.

"Well of course it is, we're married remember. This isn't high school." Spencer winks at me. He grabs my left hand gently and begins to slide on the rings. This is the weirdest feeling ever. Can't get more like playing house than this. Most of the swelling in my hand has already gone down, and the rings slide on perfectly. Then he puts out his elbow, in a gentlemen fashion and I wrap my arm in side his. Penelope and Derek say their goodbyes and we hop on the plane.

Of course there is no one else on, but I still feel nervous once we sit down.

"Are you okay, "Spencer asks.

"Yeah, of course. Why'd you ask?"

"I know this is all kind of weird. I promise that it's just to keep you safe."

I smile, "Who doesn't want to be someone else for a while?"

"Good point," he smiles back.

"So where exactly are we going, husband?"

Spencer pulls out a white envelope from his briefcase that was already on the plane. Once opened, there are two ticket stubs.

"Aloha," says Spencer.

"Get out! We are going to Hawaii? You can't be serious!" I slap his shoulder. My mind is officially blown. Maybe getting kidnapped wasn't too bad after all.

"Yeah, that's what it looks like. The tickets say we will be in Honolulu for about seven days, the normal amount of time for a honeymoon. Then we will travel to San Diego for a few days, then back to Chicago until this thing gets finished."

"Why on earth would they send us to all of those places? Why not just send us to Chicago?" I am very curious as to why I am getting a free vacation when I'm supposed to be fearing for my life.

Spencer begins to read a note attached to the tickets, "_You need a bit of vacation time anyways. Enjoy this time together. Don't worry, you'll have plenty to do when you get back. We can take it from here. –A.H."  
><em>Spencer just smiles. "Guess we can relax a bit can't we?

I snatch the tickets, which also have a tour guide with them, and start to look them over with utter excitement. "I just can't believe this. This is going to be so great!"

"I think so too. I have never been to Hawaii before, have you?"

"In my dreams. My mom always wanted to go. She loved to see the beaches and palm trees like they show on TV. She would have loved this." I looked up and smiled at Spencer.

"Well, I'm glad that we get to experience this for the first time, umm…together."

Without thinking, I grab his hand, "Me too."

I could tell that he's starting to get a bit nervous, so I remove my hand and start looking over the guides again.

"Hey, do you like magic?" asks Spencer.

I look at him kind of funny. Where is he going with this? "Sure, who doesn't?" That was all it took. For the next two hours, Spencer shows me magic trick, after magic trick. He is absolutely amazing.

"You have to show me how to do at least one!"

"No way! I can't! I can't show them to anyone!" laughs Spencer. I have been begging and pleading with no avail.

"But I am not just anyone, I thought I was special?" I try and use the innocent look on him.

"Lucy… I mean, June, you should know better. You're very special, to me." The "to me" part was barely audible. The fact that he said those words sent chills up my spine. I smiled, but didn't know what else to say.

"You should probably rest a little bit, this is going to be a pretty long flight," says Spencer. He steps out into the aisle and reaches into the overhead compartment for some blankets and pillows.

"You're not gonna steal these too are you? I laugh.

"Oh no, these aren't worth it." He hands me a pillow and blanket as he gets back into his seat next to me and begins to recline. Before I know it, we are both off to sleep.

My good sleep is finally interrupted by the bumps from the landing gear dropping.

Before I even realize it, we are in a limo, being taken to our hotel. We check in as Mr. and Mrs. Edwards, and head up to our room. On the top floor, I am super excited to see it. Once we open the door, we are both stopped in our tracks.

"I have never seen such a beautiful room before, have you?" I ask Spencer.

"Well yea, but it's usually filled with dead bodies." I hit him in the shoulder, and he laughs.

Then we both turn towards the bed. There, covered in rose petals is the only bed in the room. Next to the bed is a chilled bottle of champagne and two flutes. I turn to Spencer and smile.

"Don't worry, I can sleep on the couch," he says to me.

I smile even bigger, "Let's cross that bridge when it gets here, shall we?" I walk over to the bottle of champagne and pour us each a glass.

"After all we have dealt with the past few weeks, we deserve it, damnit." I say as I hand him one of the flutes.

"To a great honeymoon," he adds. We both laugh and take a sip. Out of the corner of my eye I see the private balcony. As I begin to walk out (with my cane of course), I notice that we have a private lap pool and hot tub. "Oh what fun! Let's see if there's a swim suit in one of those bags."

Spencer hands me one of the smaller bags that was already in the room when we got there.

"Hotch must have ordered some clothing and other items for us while we were on the plane."

I continue to search through the bag when I find a royal blue two piece. "No, Penelope definitely ordered the clothes!"

"Wanna go for a swim, husband?" I could tell the Spencer quite liked that term. I would be lying if I didn't enjoy this grown up game we were forced to play. He just shakes his head as he goes through his own bags. I retreat to the bathroom to change, but because of how long it actually takes to put the thing on, he was already in the pool once I came out.

I walked over to the pool, trying to figure the best way to get in. But then I saw him, and my knees got week. This was one of those rare moments, where I felt like I was dreaming. At this very moment, forgetting the reason we are here, everything is perfect.

"Here, I'll help you in," he reaches out his hand and helps me down the stairs. It wasn't until the second to last step, that I trip and fall right into his arms. Reminds me of the time back at the hospital. Except for this time, he holds on to me a little bit longer. Finally he eases me into the lukewarm water. Glad it wasn't too cold, being on the top floor, the wind gets a bit chilly. We both walk over to the side of the pool and lean on the wall where we can look over the beach. It's absolutely breath-taking.

"Have you ever seen anything like that?" I ask.

"Definitely stunning. I can see the appeal of the high percentages of couples that decide to retreat here after they're married. Did you know that Hawaii has about…" He looks at me and I just smile. Those stats get me every time.

"Sorry Lucy."

"What are you sorry about? I told you, I think your mind is amazing, Spencer. There's no one else like you." I place my hand on his. He shocks me when he gently grabs my hand and doesn't let go. He stands up and turns towards me. My heart is racing. Why isn't he saying anything? Did I say something wrong?

He stands there for a minute, and looks up at me and smiles. Then it happens. He leans in and give me a small but insanely sweet kiss. He pulls back and whispers, "Lucy, I think you're quite amazing too." This in its essence overwhelms me. I don't even know what I am doing while I throw my hands around his neck and begin to kiss back. For the first time in weeks, we weren't thinking about anything else, but each other.


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry everyone in the delay, with the holidays and such, I got a bit behind. Thanks for all of the wonderful feedback! I am beyond elated that you all have enjoyed the story so far!**

The kiss seems to last forever. The warmth of his breath against the contrast of the cool air around us sends me soaring. He wraps his arms around me and brings me in even closer, and for the first time in weeks-I feel completely safe. A feeling I never knew existed before now-the feeling of knowing this is where I am supposed to be. No matter how I got here, I don't care anymore; I just know that I don't want to ever be without this man again.

As be pull back, we are both a little out of breath. The passion in that one kiss took a lot out of both of us. We stand apart in silence for a minute, when Spencer reaches out and grabs my hand again.

"Wanna go and grab some lunch?" I am beyond happy that we aren't going to discuss what just happened. If he feels that it was any kind of mistake- I don't want to know.

"Sure. I am a bit starved."

"Great, we'll change clothes and head out to find somewhere to eat." There's still a bit of nervousness in his voice. I wonder what he is thinking.

"Sounds good to me. Just hope we have some normal clothing awaiting us," I giggle. Spencer laughs with me as he helps me out of the pool and back into the room.

As I begin to go through my suitcase, I begin pulling out about three different sets of lingerie. What in the world was Penelope thinking? Well, obviously I know what she was thinking, but she's insane! I finally reach another sweet, cotton sundress. This time it's a long, yellow and chocolate maxi. I quickly change into it in the closet and throw on the pair of brown flip-flops. Changing in the closet wasn't a bad choice being that it is about as big as my bedroom back home. Home. I totally forgot about that place. It dawned on me that Spencer and I are really just playing a very expensive and dangerous game of house. What will happen when we are finally able to get back? Will this game we are playing be nothing more than that?

"Are you ready to go Lucy?" asks Spencer as he walks out of the bathroom. He has changed into a pair of khaki shorts and a navy polo with brown boat shoes. He looks like he is about to do a round of golf, but manages to still look like the sweet geeky Spencer that seems to drive me wild.

"Yup. Let's go." He extends his arm and I wrap my arm around it. I still hate using the cane, but it's better than having to be wheeled around. What a way to spend a honeymoon.

We decide to take a taxi down to the boardwalk. It wouldn't have been anything to walk there, but I am still getting used to the whole cane deal. The sights are better than I have ever imagines. Crystal blue waters and incredibly bright sandy beaches are filled with huge amounts of tan bikini clad beauties. Just as my insecurities set in, Spencer reaches over and places his arm around my shoulders. Then, while I am looking out my window he kisses the top of my head. It's the moment I realize we are no longer playing house.

We pull up to another beautiful hotel that sits right on the boardwalk. A male and female hula dancer comes and greets us with gorgeous Plumeria leis. The scent is something you would expect from such a tropical flower. They escort us, as if they already knew why we were there, to a white linen table on the back patio. The table is equipped with an equally white umbrella to keep out the midday sun. I can't contain my excitement. I am in Hawaii, for goodness sakes!

"Spencer, can I ask you something?" I interject as our hostess walks away.

With a subtle look of confusion he continues, "Of course, ask away."

"How did you find me?" The confusion in his face grows, as if he is wondering why now of all times, do I want to know this.

"You want to talk about this, here?" I don't answer, hoping he can see how much I need this.

"I saw him," he begins.

"What do you mean, you saw him? Where? When?"

"That day at the college, when I walked you to your car. After I walked off to take a phone call, I saw a guy walking down the street with a bright blue messenger bag with the Doctor Who reference on it. I thought it was pretty amazing. It wasn't until we rushed to your apartment did I see a picture of you with that bag on your side. Derek and I ripped up the apartment looking for it, when we didn't find it, we assumed that it was him."

I can feel the color drain from my face. "Anyone could have had that bag. What made you think that the same guy you saw didn't just have the same bag as I did?"

"I didn't know. But at that point, what else did I have to go on? Hotch brought in a sketch artist, and once we ran my rendition through the computer; we got a hit on Tucker. His parents committed suicide when he was only 13, after a bizarre encounter with a local cult. They both were art professors back in the Midwest and his mother was even a piano prodigy. Apparently, they were told that they were not using their talents for their Messiah, and they were considered selfish. We profiled him as taking the art students as a form of sacrifice, just as his parents were made to do." At this point, Spencer just puts his head down. I think I have just ruined our lunch. We no longer feel like we are on our honeymoon, we are back in hiding.

"Is that why he kept saying that I was selfish?" I continue to press on.

"Possibly. We think that in his head, he could fix his parents death, if he fixed you."

"Why won't he move on then? Why does he still want to find me?" All emotions are beginning to flood my inner most being. Fear is the one that is completely taking over.

"He didn't get to finish," is all that Spencer says.

As the tears begin to roll, "Umm, can we please go back to the room. Please."

Spencer stands up and walks over to my chair. "Sure Lucy, we can go back." He grabs my hand and helps me into the car. The moment we begin to drive off, I can't stop the tears.

"I just want it to end, Spencer." He doesn't say a word, but pulls me close. I press into him up until we get back to our hotel.

We get up to our room, and as we enter there is an outrageously beautiful arrangement of tropical flowers waiting for us.

As I wipe the remaining tears from my face I exclaim, "Oh my, I have never seen anything like it, have you?"

"That's a pretty large bouquet of flowers, who is it from?" I pick up the note stuck inside the vase on a stick.

"_To Lucy and Spencer- Hope you enjoy your stay. Congrats on getting hitched._ Huh. Must be from the hotel then. That's pretty nice of them." I throw the card in the trash and I turn around only to see Spencer with a look of pure horror on his face.

"Spencer, what…what is it? Is something wrong?" Spencer grabs my arm.

"Lucy, no one here knows our real names, remember?" My eyes widen as I realize that I wasn't even thinking. Who in the world could have sent the flowers?

"Maybe it was Penelope or Emily or even Derek! It's probably just a prank…"

"No Lucy! None of them even know where we were going. They only knew that it was some place tropical. They weren't allowed to be informed of anything else, it was too big of a risk. I didn't even know where our location would be until we got on the plane." He begins to pace back and forth. I can see that brain of his trying to work through all of this.

"What about Hotch, he knew we were here. Maybe he was just trying to be nice?" I can't even convince myself.

"Lucy, Hotch wouldn't have put our real names on it. He wouldn't even take that kind of a chance. How on earth is he finding us? Pack your stuff, we are heading on the first plane to Chicago." He walks off towards one of his bags and pulls out a cell phone. It must be the emergency one Hotch mentioned that would go straight to his cell.

How is he finding me?


	13. Chapter 13

**Thanks again for the feedback everyone! I enjoy reading every single comment! Hope this chapter is just as exciting for you **

I rush over and begin throwing stuff in bags. Before I even realize it, the front of my dress is completely soaked in tears. It takes me a moment to breathe through the anxiety I feel. This is not the time to have an attack. Minutes pass and Spencer walks back into view. Apparently he has been on the phone with Aaron.

"Where are you going, Lucy?" Spencer walks over and starts unpacking my bags.

"What are you doing?" I snap at him as I snatch the clothes back and start to pack them up again.

"We aren't going anywhere. We have to stay here."

"Here? Are you insane? I just got flowers delivered to me by a crazed maniac! I am not going to sit around in paradise waiting for him to just come and get me!" I throw my hands up in utter frustration. What is he thinking?

"Lucy, we can't leave. Hotch wants us to stay put. If this guy can figure out where we are, then no matter what city we land in-he'll be watching. If we stay here, it give the team back home a chance to retrace steps and figure out where he's getting his information from." The calmness in his voice seems like nails on a chalkboard to me. Why isn't he frustrated? Why doesn't he care? Why do I feel like I am back to being a victim? I don't feel safe. I don't want to be here. And at this moment, I want him to go away.

"I am no staying here, Spencer! You don't know what it's like to…"

"I do know what it's like!" He swiftly interjects, there is no longer any calmness in his voice.

"I've been kidnapped too, Lucy! I have been drugged and beat and shot at numerous times. I have spent that past few years of my life looking into the dead eyes innocent people, including children, while their mangled bodies lay at my feet. Not a night goes by that I don't have some sort of nightmare about the things I have experienced. Not a day goes by that I don't feel like I have to look over my shoulders. So don't come at me and make the assumption that I don't understand you-cause I do. I vowed to make you safe, and I haven't given up on that; so don't you give up on me." He steps back and walks out onto the balcony. I don't even have to chance to say anything. Not that I even knew what to say. I feel like a complete idiot. I turn around and sit on the bed. The bed that is still covered in rose petals. There is nothing but a feeling of emptiness in the pit of my stomach. Immediately, I turn and see the bottle of champagne still sitting on the nightstand. _Well why not? _I grab the bottle and pop the cork. "Bottoms up," I say to myself. Doesn't take long, before I have finished the entire bottle off. I have never been a drinker by any means, but if I there was any good time to start, I figure this would be it.

I can immediately feel the blurriness begin in my head. I try to stand and it's only my cane that keeps me from toppling over. I stumble out to the balcony and take a seat next to Spencer. I don't even know what to say to him. My mind is going one hundred different places.

"Wanna dance?" Where the heck did that come from? I'm not even making any sense.

"What?" Oh yea, he's about as confused as I am.

"Yea. I like dancing. A lot. It makes me super happy, and I wanna be super happy. Do you wanna dance with me?"

"Lucy, have you been drinking? What the hell are you doing?" All I can do is burst into laughter. I suddenly feel insanely giddy.

"Come on Luc, let's get you into bed. What on earth could you have possibly drank in the last ten minutes to already be drunk?" I laugh again.

"I drank our honeymoon wine! They gave it to us," I begin pointing pretty much everywhere, " We are supposed to be celebrating the fact that we are married. Married people are supposed to be happy. So I wanna be happy. Are you happy?" He grabs my arm and pulls me to my feet and makes a good attempt to get back into the room. It takes a while because of all of my stumbling about, but he manages to get me in the room and sits me on the bed. He crouches down in front of me.

"I am sorry I snapped at you. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings or make you feel like I was mad. I just want you to know that you're not alone in this. I won't leave you." Nothing that is coming out of his mouth is making much sense.

Then all of a sudden I just grab his shirt and begin kissing him. I wrap my arms around him and pretty much pounce on him. I try unbuttoning his shirt, but to no avail.

"Lucy, Lucy. Come on. Not like this. Just calm down and…" Spencer pushes me back, gently.

"I thought you liked me!" I snap back. He sits me back down on the bed and kisses my forehead.

"I do like you. Quite frankly, I like you a lot. But I won't allow you to do something you might just regret in the morning. Hop into bed and I'll be right in the next room on the couch. Just yell if you need me." Although I am still not sure what is going on, I give in to him. He helps me under the covers, and within moments-I'm out.

Moments pass that seem like hours. Image after gory, bloody image fills my mind and I can't seem to wake up. All I see is him hovering over me, undoing his belt. I scream but no one hears me. I continue to scream over and over again, "Help me!"

Suddenly I am grabbed. I fling myself up out of the bed and continue to scream.

"Lucy! Wake up! Wake up, Lucy!" I finally realize that the hands around me are that of Spencer. Opening my eyes give me a bit of relief, but also helps me to notice the throbbing headache I have. I sink into his arms.

"Lucy it's okay. You're alright."

"No Spencer, no I am not. Please don't let go." Spencer again kisses me on the cheek and helps me into bed. This time, he crawls back in with me. Not trying to think about the hours earlier when I through myself at him, I still curl up next to him in his arms. I need to feel him against me. I need to know he's there. He doesn't seem to object as he pulls me close and puts his arm around my shoulders. Within what feels like only seconds, I am back into dream world. This time, no nightmares.

I wake up to the feeling of someone playing with my hair, of course I know who it is, but I don't want him to stop so I don't open my eyes. This gives me an opportunity to just be with him without it just being just sleepign. His shirt still smells of his manly cologne and soap. It has a light scent of rose from a few petals that made their way under the covers. I can also hear his heart. That part of his body that gives so much life to such an incredible individual. The same individual I got drunk over because I snapped at him. Then I pretty much tried to quickly rape him in my drunken stupor. Good grief. And he's still here? Would it be wrong to conclude that I am falling super hard for him? Is it possibly that he could feel anywhere remotely close to that about me?

Then there's a knock on the door and my heart sinks. Who could it be? I still don't open my eyes. Spencer slowly eases out of bed, but not before placing another kiss of the top of my head. I hear him open the door; mumble something, then the door closes again. Obviously it must have been nothing, or else there would have been more commotion that that. Spencer's footsteps get closer to the bed and I assume that his getting back in-which is essentially what I want. Then he stops at the side of the bed and starts to rub my hair, he even tucks it behind my ear. This act alone sends chills down my spine.

"Lucy, hey are you hungry?" I slowly awaken to see that I am at eye level with him. He's crouched down beside the bed, still rubbing my hair. His hair in fact looks like he just had a meeting with a stylist. Did he even sleep last night?

Feeling a bit embarrassed from last night, I simply nod. He smiles, and walks back off into the direction of the door. Suddenly, I smell maple syrup.

We get through breakfast without a hitch. We didn't have to talk, since Spencer turned on the local news channel. Between break-ins and crazy traffic, it no longer seems like we are in paradise, but just a warmer version of home.

After breakfast I took a shower, a task that is becoming easier and easier, and changed into some comfy shorts and tee. Spencer whipped out the laptop and has been typing crazily on it for the past three hours. He looks pretty serious so I haven't bothered him at all. Every now and then he will get on his cell and talk to who I am assuming is Aaron Hotchner. I curl up on the couch next time him with my feet in his direction. Nothing to do but watch TV, for a honeymoon-this got boring really fast.

"Hey, are you okay?" He places a hand on my leg. The gesture shocks me a bit, because I thought maybe he was being a bit stand-offish because of last night. I guess he was actually just really involved with whatever he is doing. I am such a girl, I have to read into everything.

"Yea, I'm okay. What are you doing?"

"Trying to get us out of here. Hotch has decided that I am to make the decision about where we are to go next. He doesn't want anyone else to be aware of it. We are about to be cut off."

"Cut off? What do you mean?"

"I mean that we will almost be underground for a while. No one at the BAU will know where we are. We can't risk it, since we don't know where the information is being leaked at."

"Underground? What are we supposed to do then? How will they know that we are okay? We can't just disappear like that!" I am becoming extremely worried at this point.

"It's not as bad as it sounds. I will check in with Hotch every two weeks, unless something occurs. I will go to a pay phone to call him. You will still be safe, I can promise you that." The determination in his voice is what causes me to actually believe that last statement.

"So, where are we going? Another honeymoon?" I smile to let him know that I really am okay.

"Well, the "Edwards" couple is heading out to Chicago as planned. Maggie and Richard Gilford will be in Las Vegas tomorrow afternoon." He looks at me and smiles.

"Maggie and Richard Gilford? Really? You couldn't have picked a better name than that? We aren't seventy, ya know." I smile back.

"Pack your bags, Luc," he kisses me on the cheek as he begins to get up from the couch. "We're going to sin city.


	14. Chapter 14

**Sorry for the delay in getting this posted. Just started back to school **

Vegas. Sin City. The City of Lights. Well, at least I think that's what they call it. Definitely a place I have never been, or desired to go. Then again, what does it matter, looks like by the time this case is solved-I will have probably seen China and Iceland too.

While sitting on the plane, I can't help but notice how anxious Spencer seems. He has not said a single word the entire trip. I did sleep the first half, since this was an early flight, but his tension stops me from even asking if there is a problem. He is however, writing. His skinny fingers scribble across the page like a crazed poet. His gaze never breaks from the paper. Seriousness and determination are the only expressions he seems to be able to exude at the moment. Not sure what he is really writing or to whom, but before we land he stuffs it into an envelope and seals it up. The curiosity kills me.

"Who were you writing to?" I ask.

"Oh um, that would be my mom." He grabs his bags, and begins to quickly walk off the jet.

"Wow! Your mom? You actually write letters to each other?" I limp after him.

"Yes. I write her every day, actually." He doesn't even turn around, but keeps on walking. Maybe this is a subject for another time? Just sad that I am supposed to be married and I don't even know my mother-in-law. I can't help but even laugh at the idea of it all.

"That's cool. Where does she stay?" I don't even know why I keep asking, but the words are just flowing out so naturally, I don't dare to stop.

Spencer stops dead in his tracks, causing me to run right into. He slowly turns around and says, "Here. My mom lives here. I am from this area, if you want to know. But please, Lucy, no more questions about it, okay?" He turns back around and begins to walk off. Seemingly, I hit a nerve. What on earth is he hiding? Why wouldn't he want to talk about her? She is obviously very important if he takes the time every day to write, so why can't he share her with me?

I immediately drop the subject. The visual pollution of the city catches me off guard. I have never seen so many different signs in my life! From buffets to pawn shops and from strip clothes to old, washed up celeb shows-I am completely blown away. I am almost excited to see what it will look like all lit up.

"Ready to go to the room?" Spencer asks.

"Sure. Where are we staying?"

"Oh, you'll see." He laughs. Makes me feel better. I don't want to feel like he is upset or closed off from me. I prefer for him to be happy to be around me.

When we pull up to the hotel, my mouth drops wide open. For someone now from Vegas, I have watched enough Real World to know this place.

"Welcome to The Palms," greets the doorman as he, well, opens my door.

"Wow! Really? This is where we are staying?" I feel like a kid on Christmas. I also feel like a big shot. Thank God for Uncle Sam fitting this bill. Once we entered, we are greeted by the concierge by our new names, and congratulated on getting married. I love hearing it. We are ushered up to our room, which of course is phenomenal. Great views of the city, Jacuzzi tub, a comfy king sized bed, huge flat screen, mini bar-the list goes on and on. No expense has been spared. Spencer just looks at me and grins.

"Well, I hope you won't be too bored," he says. "I would hate to try and find you something to keep you occupied."

I look at him and laugh. "So what the heck do we do first? There has to be something fun we can do to start off this trip!" I feel like I am at Disney Land. Spencer will be able to take me all kinds of places.

"Actually Lucy, it's just going to be you for a few days…"

"What!" I yell, interrupting him. "You're leaving me? What did I do? Why…why are you doing this?" It almost felt like he was breaking up with me. My heart hurts.

"Lucy," he comes and grabs my hand which I turn snatch away, "Lucy, I am just going to spend a few days with my mom. No one knows you are here. Not even Hotch. Just stay here in the room. You have movies, games, internet-the works. There is a menu by your bed to order whatever you want, whenever you want. Just stay here okay? I am serious. Don't play around."

Good grief. It feels like he's my father or something. Why does he think it's a good idea to leave me here? How in the world am I going to get any sleep without him?

"Spencer please, take me with you. I don't want to be by myself." I am really hoping this sappy stuff works. I am seriously going to be upset if he leaves. I won't feel right without him.

"I would Lucy, but it just isn't a good idea right now. Please understand. I will be gone, three days max, and we will have plenty of time to do whatever you want. I can promise you that." He gets really close to me and places a soft kiss on my lips. It takes a lot for me to not go in hard, but I don't want to seem desperate every time we kiss. "I can also promise that you will be okay. I can't call you, but I will send you a message letting you know everything is okay. You know the number back to the BAU, so call it if anything happens. And by anything, I mean it better be something really important." He kisses me one more time, and rubs my arm, then out the door he goes.

I can't believe he just left. I can't believe he was okay just leaving me here. I thought there was something growing between us, something we both really felt. How could he just walk away? It's just his mom, I could totally get along with her. She can't be weird or anything-look how smart Spencer is. I have to find out why Spencer is hiding her from me.


	15. Chapter 15

**I know you guys are going to curse me for taking SO FRIGGIN' LONG to update-but I needed to walk away from writing in general for awhile. NOW I'M BACK! Hope you like **

Twenty four hours have already gone by since Spencer left. I feel so empty. I haven't said a word since he walked out our hotel door. I want to be completely angry at him, but on the other hand-I question why he left me in the first place? What's wrong with me? Is he embarrassed to show me off to his mom? Wait-show me off? What am I thinking? It's not like we actually have a relationship going on! He's just my guardian! My protector. My escort. And the best friend I have right now.

Sigh. This sucks. This hotel room sucks. This situation sucks. Spencer not being here sucks.

"AHHHH!" I scream. I am just beyond frustrated with everything. I can't call anyone. I can't go anywhere. I can't even use any sort of social networking site. Room service and Doctor Who on Netflix have been the only thing keeping me from absolutely losing it.

When will Spencer be back? Is he gonna let me know he's okay?

I sit down on the couch and place my head in my hands. I really need to calm down. Things could be a lot worse.

Suddenly there's a knock on the door. The sound sends chills through my spine and causes me to jump up quickly while knocking my knee tremendously hard against the abnormally high coffee table.

What am I supposed to do?

Then there's another knock.

Oh God, what if it's him? He found me!

"Get a grip, Lucy. Stop acting so stupid," I whisper to myself while I quietly tip-toe, well attempt to tip-toe to the front door. I peak through the peep hole and realize it's a hotel worker.

I reach for the door handle and pull it open.

"Oh well hi there miss. Sorry to bother you. Hope I didn't wake you or anything." Said the older gentlemen in his spiffy bell hop uniform.

"Not at all! I was on the, uh phone, yeah and didn't hear you. Sorry 'bout that." Don't I sound rather confident?

"No problem at all miss, just wanted to drop this letter off for you. Arrived at the front desk just this morning." He hands me a royal blue envelope with silver writing. What a weird looking letter.

"Thank you so much. You have a great day, alright?"

"No problem. You enjoy the rest of your day as well, ma'am." He smiles as he quickly turns and walks away.

I close the door and limp over to my space back on the couch. This packaging looks oddly familiar. There's no return address. This in itself makes me nervous.

I just keep staring at the bright blue envelope, almost terrified on what kind of horrors could await for me on the inside.

No one is supposed to know I am here. He couldn't have found me, its impossible-right? I've done everything I Spencer told me to do and I haven't done anything he told me not to do.

I keep thinking about the envelope. Who the heck uses a royal blue envelope to send a letter? Maybe a child, or…

"The Doctor." I hit myself on my forehead. It really makes sense now! "It's a Doctor Who reference!" Suddenly my insides begin to flutter because I know exactly who this letter is from. I quickly rip it open and begin to read-

_L,_

_I am hoping by now that you got my clever reference with the blue envelope. I thought it would be a perfect way for you to know WHO this was coming from. Hope you enjoyed. If you didn't get it, please turn in your bowtie and sonic screwdriver. _

_On another note, please stop being upset with me. I know that you are. You are probably sulking around planning on how you are going to get me back once I return. I know that you feel like I just abandoned you-but I promise I didn't. This was just something I needed to do on my own. It has not a thing to do with you. _

_To be honest, it hasn't been very long and I feel pretty lost without you around. You're kind of like my right hand __man __woman. It's been a crazy journey, but I can't picture doing all of this with anyone but you. I hope you're smiling and are re-thinking the hell you are going to put me through when I get back._

_By the way, you are probably getting this around lunch time-I'll be back around six p.m. My visit didn't exactly go the way that I planned._

_See you soon,_

_The Doctor_

"The Doctor?" I burst out laughing. He really signed it that way? Genius kid. He really does make me smile. I'll give him that.

And he misses me? He actually wants me around? I am sure we can both agree that these circumstances are horrible-but would he have looked at me twice otherwise?

I begin to walk into the kitchen when I pass in front of a mirror.

"Oh em gee, Lucy! You look horrid!"

My hair was a complete mess and it looked like I had dried ketchup on the side of my mouth. I was also still in my pajamas from the night before.

"I've turned into a man!" I try and press the flyaways to my head. Not working. "And he's gonna be here in about four hours! He can't see me like this!"

I grab my cane and walk through the kitchen, down the hallway into our bedroom. I hoist my suitcase on the bed to see what kind of outfit I can put on.

My choices were pretty…uh, exciting? Lingerie or a minidress? Was she serious? Why on earth could Penelope not have a bit more class?

I grab the cream and black dress and press it to my body. It was a simple, strapless dress that landed half-way up my thighs. Solid cream with a thick black band around the waist. "Not half bad."

With no help to get ready, taking a shower and getting dressed was a bit of a challenge. I was trying very hard not to use my cane, but it turned out to be a horrible idea. While trying to get out of the shower I slipped and caught myself on the handle of the shower door. Immediately I could see the black and blue coloration showing up on my hip. It took everything in my power not to scream in pure agony-but I had to press on.

I didn't want to look like I was trying TOO too hard, so I just left my hair down and kept my makeup to a minimal. I also wasn't going to attempt to even try to wear that black lacy hooker heels Garcia placed in my shoe bag. That girl must have an awesome sex life.

Before I knew it, it was six p.m. Then it was six fifteen. Six thirty. Six thirty seven. My heart began to race uncontrollably. Why is he not here? Then all of a sudden I can hear the door handle jiggle. Within seconds, he walks in.

My heart skips a beat. He wasn't even gone long but it felt like time just slowed down. We have been in together day in and day out for so long. I can't help but put on a big grin, one so big that my jaw begins to hurt-but I don't care.

He grins back and places his bags on the floor. "So you're not mad at me, are you?"

"Who can be mad at The Doctor?" I reply. This makes him blush as he runs his hands through his hair and grabs the back of his neck.

"Wow Lucy, that dress," he swallows, "that dress looks really pretty on you."

I look down and push some remaining wrinkles out. "Thanks, Spence. Just something I was loungin' in." I laugh.

Before I knew it his face got a bit serious, which caused me to worry a bit. My palms start getting sweaty as I cannot read him. He shoves his hands in his pockets and walks towards me. He stops just a foot or less away from me. He lifts his head and opens his mouth as if to say something, but then closes it again.

"Spencer? Is something wrong?" I whisper to him. He looks confused, almost angry. I don't understand what just switched.

He lowers his head and says, "I don't think I can be without you again." Spencer raises his head to look me straight in the eye. The lines around his eyes begin to soften and a sense of relief is written on his face. It must have been hard for him to say. I smile as big as I can to let him know that I understand.

Then I begin to play with his tie. I don't know how much longer I can take of this. He's been there for me. He's seen me at my worst, and is helping me be better. He needs to know how I feel and I can't keep beating around the bush all the time.

I grab his tie even harder and pull him in for a deep kiss. Not sure what the consequences of this may be, but I don't care.

Without warning, Spencer grants me access to an even deeper kiss. And before I know it, it's his hands that begin to explore. This moment is amazing. This moment is better than any anti-depressant they could give me.

Within seconds I already feel like I am about to go over the edge.


End file.
